


Revenge is a Dish Best Savoured

by ASabsStory



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Amnesia, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Bisexual Female Character, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Kind of angsty I suppose, Lesbian Character, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Sweetheart, Original Akuma, Rare Pairings, Slow Burn, Some Swearing, Temporary Amnesia, but also kicks butt, marinette doesn't know she's ladybug, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-06 14:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13413018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASabsStory/pseuds/ASabsStory
Summary: Lila figures out that Marinette is Ladybug with one glance, and makes it her mission to make the girl's life miserable. This results in Marinette being involved in an unfortunate accident, in which she loses her memories from the past two years. Unable to remember any of her new classmates, Marinette has to redevelop friendships with Adrien and Alya. Things don't go quite the same as the first time around, however, and Marinette takes a special liking to Lila.Lila uses this to her advantage and decides to try and locate Ladybug's miraculous before she can remember who she is, so that she can destroy Marinette once and for all.Her evil plan doesn't quite take into account that Marinette is actually a giant sweetheart.





	1. Oops

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy. Here we go.  
> I started watching this show many two weeks ago now, and I'm already obsessed. Good luck to me.  
> Anyways, I think that Lila and Marinette could be a super cute couple, if Lila could move past her lying ways, and that was the main inspiration for this fic.  
> A few things before we start...  
> 1\. Why doesn't Marinette remember Lila, Adrien, Alya, Chat Noir, and Ladybug, but know everyone else?  
> Marinette has lost all memory from the past two years. She can recognize people she knew before then, but Alya, Adrien, Chat Noir and Ladybug all came into her life at the same time. Lila came even later than that.  
> 2\. Why doesn't Tikki just tell Marinette who she is?  
> Marinette doesn't have the earrings on, and when she doesn't have her earrings on, Tikki can't appear. Chat Noir can't hunt her down and remind her, either, since he's as oblivious as his mild mannered alter ego and can't put two and two together.  
> 3\. Why doesn't Marinette stand up to Chloe?  
> Marinette only stuck up for herself after she met Alya. She can't remember a time where she didn't just sit there and put up with Chloe. She doesn't remember that she can stick up for herself, so she doesn't.

**_ Chapter One: Oops _ **

* * *

 

Lila slammed the red, steel door in Marinette’s face, sending the poor girl stumbling backwards. Lila stared through the reinforced glass, smiling innocently at her confused classmate. The school had invested in better security, considering the frequent akuma attacks that occurred there, so there was no way that Marinette was getting through this door; once an alarm had gone off, it could only be opened by someone on the inside.

            And that someone happened to be Lila.

            Lila smirked and waved as Marinette pounded on the door, yelling.

“Sorry, dear. I can’t hear you through all this metal,” she taunted.

            Marinette yelled again, and when Lila saw her wide eyes and pale face, she temporarily faltered.

            “Go on, Ladybug. Transform if you’re so scared,” she said, but her voice had lost its mocking edge. “Don’t just stand there like an idiot! He’s coming!” She pointed through the glass at the latest villain, a man who’d somehow gained the ability to throw explosive plants. The power made no sense to Lila, but that wasn’t going to stop her from exposing Ladybug for her lies, just as Ladybug had exposed Lila.

            Ladybug pretended to be a brave, kind hero, that cared about the people of Paris and always saved the day. Lila was the only one who knew that this was all a lie. She was the only one that knew that Ladybug wasn’t a hero, and was instead a clumsy pushover that destroyed everything in her path. Lila knew that Ladybug wasn’t always on top of things like she pretended to be, but instead was an irresponsible mess that was constantly late or missing from class. She wasn’t a star citizen; she was a selfish brat that allowed herself to be antagonized by Chloe and bickered with her constantly. Lila knew this, and she wanted the world to know it, too.

            But seeing Marinette as frantic as she was now weakened Lila’s resolve.

            “Fuck. What am I doing? She’s going to get killed out there!”

            Lila pushed the lever on the door, but it didn’t open. She paused, eyes wide, then slammed herself against it.

            Marinette whipped around when she saw Lila point. Her eyes locked on the Gardener (what a horrible name, Hawkmoth really wasn’t very creative) and Chat Noir, as the Gardener chased the hero into the courtyard where Marinette stood.

* * *

 

            Marinette really shouldn’t have left her earrings at home.

            But Alya had been _so_ excited to give her these new ones, because, she’d complained, Marinette only wore the same, boring pair every day. Fearing her own clumsiness, Marinette had promised Tikki that she’d see her immediately after school as she removed the earrings and hid them away where no one would think to find them.

            Now, Marinette was stranded, with no indestructible suit to protect her, and no way into the basement with the other students. Meanwhile, the villain threw exploding vegetables, and he and Chat Noir were battling in front of the _only_ exit from the school.

            What a wonderful situation.

            Marinette took a deep breath to force herself to calm, clenching and unclenching her fists. She needed to find an exit point, and fast. She considered trying to slip past Chat Noir and the Gardener, but she eliminated that idea as soon as she’d thought it. There were too many stray bombs, and she wasn’t comfortable with how high the odds were that she’d get blown up. She glanced left, to the stairs. She could probably run up there and hide out, but once she was up there, she’d be cornered. If she needed to escape, she wouldn’t be able to. The only other thing she could think to do was taking cover in one of the lower level classrooms until she could escape out the front.

            Marinette looked around, then sprinted for the nearest door, on her right.

            “Watch out!” Chat Noir yelled, and Marinette ducked. She tripped and fell over as a bomb went flying over her head, sailing through the window of the classroom she had been seeking shelter in.

            “Oops,” Marinette said, raising an arm to protect her face as the bomb went off inside the classroom.

* * *

 

            _Lila looked up from her phone when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and removed an earbud, turning around to face the person that had felt the need to interrupt her favorite song._

_“What?” she spat, glaring at the girl that stood in front of her._

_The girl looked taken aback, her blue eyes widening in surprise at Lila’s venomous response. Lila looked her up and down, taking note of her lean, athletic frame, black pigtails, and big, blue eyes._

_“Ladybug,” Lila commented offhandedly, smirking when Marinette faltered._

_“E-excuse me?” Marinette stuttered, and Lila’s suspicions were confirmed._

_“She has the same hairstyle as you. Do you look up to her or something?” she asked, so Marinette wouldn’t think that she was on to her._

_“Oh,” the girl said with a smile. “No. I don’t. Anyways, uh… I’m Marinette. I know that you had a rough first day, so I was wondering if I could help give you a better first impression of the school?”_

_Lila looked her up and down again. This girl was, without a doubt, Ladybug. So why was she coming over to talk to Lila? Lila had made sure to tell her loudly and clearly that she would never become friends with her. She had embarrassed her in front of Adrien, and that wasn’t something that she was willing to let go after some stupid apology. Ladybug must feel guilty, she realized. Ladybug felt ashamed for humiliating Lila in front of her crush, and Lila thought that was hysterical._

_“Are you asking to be friends?” Lila asked bluntly, cocking an eyebrow._

_“I-I mean, I g-guess—”_

_“And w-w-why, exactly, would I want to be friends with you, Marinette? What do you have to o-o-offer me?” Lila demanded cruelly, mocking Marinette’s nervous stutter. “You have the fashion sense of a five-year-old and you seem like a total pushover. I don’t associate myself with people like you.”_

_Lila popped her headphone back in and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned her back on the red-faced girl, sadistically satisfied with the devastated expression on Marinette’s face._

* * *

 

            Lila opened her eyes slowly, groaning. She lifted her head, rubbing her eyes as she scooted into an upright position. She blinked her eyes a few times and looked around, noticing that the red, metal door in front of her had been blown straight off its hinges. She patted herself down, checking for injuries, and sighed in relief when she found nothing but a few bruises.

            She stood up, dusting off her pants, before freezing.

            “Marinette!”

            She dashed out of the hall, glancing over her shoulder as she did. The other students were still in the saferoom at the end, it appeared, because there was no one else in sight. She slipped and nearly fell when she took the turn too fast, searching through the rubble to try and see her classmate. The Gardener and Chat Noir were no longer fighting the courtyard in the center of the school, and appeared to have made their way outside. This was good, because it meant that Lila couldn’t get blown up.

            After a moment, Lila spotted a hand sticking out from under some beams and rocks, and her stomach flipped.

            Fuck. She hadn’t meant to kill the girl! She just wanted to scare her! She wanted to force Marinette to transform in front of her, so that she knew that Lila knew she was Ladybug!

            Lila picked her way through the rubble, kneeling at her side. Marinette’s lower half was pinned under a large wooden beam, but she didn’t appear the be trapped otherwise. Lila checked her for a pulse, and felt a wave of relief when she found one. She bit her lip, then hooked her shoulder under the wooden beam. She pushed up with all her strength and used her legs to kick and roll Marinette out of the way. Then she dropped it, panting, and crawled over to Marinette.

            She rolled her over and placed Marinette’s head in her lap, smacking her cheek.

            “Marinette, wake up,” Lila said, smacking her face again.

            Marinette’s face scrunched up and she grunted, turning her face away from Lila’s hand. She opened her eyes, locking them with Lila, then jerked up and out of Lila’s lap. She scrambled to her feet, swaying, and stumbling to the nearest wall for support. She grabbed her face and leaned over.

            Lila opened her mouth to tell Marinette to lay down, since she probably had a concussion, but then realized that it was much more fun to watch her enemy stumble around like a baby deer.

            Lila crossed her arms over her chest and stood up. She heard the door to the saferoom burst open and heard footsteps come barreling out as students came charging down the hallway. Mrs. Bustier must have gotten the all clear from the town that the akuma attack was over and let them out.

            Naturally, Alya was the first to come bursting out, but it wasn’t for the reason that Lila first guessed, which was to see Ladybug.

            “Marinette! Oh my god, there you are! I saw that you didn’t make it to the shelter and I was scared the akuma had hurt you!” she yelled, grabbing Marinette’s shoulders.

            The black-haired girl looked up at Alya, then at Lila. She remained silent, until Mrs. Bustier stepped out into the courtyard, followed by the rest of the students.

            “Mrs. Bustier, what happened?” she asked, and Alya scowled as she was ignored by her best friend.

            “I’m not sure, Marinette. I didn’t quite see. I believe that you must have gotten caught up in the battle between Chat Noir and the akuma,” the teacher said, grabbing Marinette’s chin. “My goodness, you’re bleeding. Nino, can you run to the nurse’s office and grab a bandage for Marinette’s head? And see if you can find Adrien, while you’re at it.”

            Nino ran off, and Marinette stepped back. “What’s an akuma? Who’s Chat Noir?” the girl asked, her voice panic-stricken.

            “Wow, Marinette. I didn’t think you could get any dumber,” Chloe sneered, and Marinette shrank back.

            That wasn’t how Marinette usually responded to Chloe… Lila frowned as Alya glared at the blonde.

            “Shut up, Chloe! Don’t listen to her, Marinette. She’s just a spoiled brat,” Alya announced, putting her hand on Marinette’s shoulder.

            Marinette yanked away from Alya, backing away from the crowd of students.

            Chloe laughed. “Wow, Alya. It must hurt to be rejected by Marinette of all people.”

            “Oh my god!” Lila yelled, eyes wide as the realization hit her. The entire class turned to face her, and she laughed in disbelief. “Marinette, do you know who Alya is?”

            Marinette brushed her hair from her face. “S-should I?”


	2. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette Dupain-Cheng returns to school, and Lila has an epiphany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you notice any grammatical or spelling errors, please let me know so I can fix them! I was too excited to wait to post this... so it's published now. Chapter 3 is complete and under revision! If you want a "spoiler," it's called Facade. I wonder who that could be about....

            “Okay, class.  Quiet down for a moment, please,” Mrs. Bustier called, her hands folded over her stomach. “I have an announcement to make.”

            The class slowly stopped whispering and turned its attention to the front of the room. They all sat on the edge of their seats, their full concentration on what the teacher was going to say, for once. They all knew that today was a big day, and they were all anxious to hear her speak.

            “As I’m sure you all know, Marinette Dupain-Cheng will be returning today. Her doctor felt that the best thing that she could do right now is return to a familiar environment and schedule, because familiar things may help bring her memories back. It’s important that you know that Marinette’s memories may not return, and if they do, they may not come any time soon, or all at once. Since her last memories appear to be from two years ago, she doesn’t remember everyone in here. Adrien, Lila and Alya, this applies to you, especially; we must be patient with her. No one here is to get angry with her for this. She can’t control it. We also need to be careful not to stress her out too much. This is very important. Does everyone understand?”

            Satisfied with the nods and quiet confirmations she got as a response, Mrs. Bustier opened the door.

            The entire class seemed to sit up straighter as Marinette walked in. She had some bruises and scratches left, and a scar across her forehead, but otherwise she looked the same as always. Lila drummed her fingers on the desk lazily as Marinette stopped at the front of the room and cleared her throat.

            “So, um. I realize that this is probably weird for a lot of you. It’s weird for me, too… but my doctor is almost certain that my memory will return if I spend time in environments I’m familiar with and with people I knew. I apologize in advance for not knowing a few of you, but I guess you can see it as an opportunity to start fresh with me. My only request is that you don’t take that previous statement too seriously and try to convince me that you’re a completely different person than I knew you as,” Marinette said with a laugh.

            The entire room seemed to relax at Marinette’s light-hearted take on the situation, and Lila heard a few laughs that were probably more of relief than humor.

            Lila watched as Marinette took her spot next to Alya, leaning in to listen to their conversation.

            “Hi. I’m Alya, your best friend,” Alya whispered.

            “I figured as much. I have pictures of you all over my room,” Marinette whispered back, giggling.

            Lila drummed her fingers on the desk lightly, before gasping softly.

            Marinette had requested that they try not to convince her that they were a different person, and that gave Lila a wonderful idea.

            If Marinette couldn’t remember anything from the past two years, then she couldn’t remember being Ladybug. That meant that Lila could fake being her friend so that she could steal her miraculous!

            It was a perfect plan! She could finally get the recognition and attention that she deserved, and it would be a great way to gain popularity among her fellow students! At the same time, she could fake being friends with Marinette, the widely-loved class rep, and steal all her friends from her, while swiping her only redeemable quality out from under her nose.

            Lila thought of how devastated sweet little Marinette would look when Lila finally had her Miraculous in her clutches, and her heart soared.

            This would be fantastic.

* * *

 

            Someone cleared their throat, and Lila glanced over her shoulder. Marinette stood behind her, pink-faced and smiling eagerly. Lila finished packing up her bag and removed it from her locker, slinging it over her shoulder. She closed the door and faced Marinette fully, giving her an expectant look.

            Marinette smiled at her. “H-hey… Lila, right? I’m Marinette, and I—you already know that, don’t you? Sorry. Hard to remember that I’m the only one who lost my memory. W-well, anyways, um… I wanted to say thank you for digging me out of the rubble. I remember you saving me, and it means a lot to me,” Marinette stuttered, twisting her hands together. “From what I can gather from all the pictures I have, we were never friends before, but I really hope we can be friends now!”

            Lila was remembering how she’d shut Marinette down before, and she longed to do it again. Unfortunately, that would make her plan nearly impossible, so she plastered a false, sheepish smile on her face. “You want to be friends with me?” she whispered. “Really?”

            Marinette looked taken aback. “Of course!”

            “It’s just that… you were so mean to me before… I thought you hated me,” Lila mumbled, staring at her feet, scratching her neck. “It was my first day a few months ago and I had asked Adrien to show me around. I guess you liked him or something, because you came over and humiliated me in front of him and then taunted me every time I saw you after that…” she trailed off, biting her lip as if she were about to cry.

            Marinette gasped, hands flying up to cover her mouth. “I did that? Oh, my goodness, Lila, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, hugging the girl in front of him. “I can’t believe I’d do something like that to someone!” she held her tightly, and Lila rolled her eyes and returned the hug.

            This was too easy.

            “It’s okay, Marinette, really. I understand. You love Adrien a lot, and you were just jealous. We can be friends, now,” Lila said, patting her back.

            Marinette grinned at her. “I’m so glad! Thank you for forgiving me, Lila, and for saving my life, even if I was mean to you.”

            With that, the girl skipped off, leaving Lila gagging in her wake.

            That girl was so fucking sweet that it made Lila feel physically ill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's all a bit short, but the chapters will likely get longer as we get further in. Probably.


	3. Facades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a startling revelation. Lila has mixed emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're starting off a bit slow with this story, but I promise that things start to pick up soon. Marinette will start remembering things, and Lila's motivations will become clearer. As always, please comment your thoughts, feelings, and constructive criticism! Getting comments really, really helps, whether you realize it or not! It helps motivate me to keep writing. Enjoy!

 

** FACADES **

* * *

 

            Marinette watched the students walk into the building from the windows of the bakery, trying to pretend that she couldn’t hear her parent’s hushed whispers in the back. She hated that she was making them suffer like this, financially and emotionally. The doctor she still had to see regularly was expensive, and Marinette’s amnesia had given her parents bags under their eyes and had caused their usual cheerful smiles and voices to become strained and tight. They were pretending, for her sake, but she knew that things were difficult for them.

            And she knew that it was her fault.

            Marinette sighed, turning her attention back to the cake she was icing. It was nothing big, just large enough for one or two people, but Marinette had poured her very heart and soul into this cake. She’d made the icing orange, to match the faux leather jacket that Lila had been wearing in all the photos Marinette had managed to find of her on social media. After many google searches to ensure that the spelling was correct, Marinette had carefully written “I’m sorry” on the cake. It was done in Italian, of course, for Lila’s home country. She hoped that the gesture would be appreciated.

            Marinette drew one final flower on the cake and carefully slid it into a pink cakebox, taping up the sides and attaching her note to the top of it. She pulled her backpack on and rushed out the door, so she wasn’t late to school.

            She’d gotten up at four that morning to prepare this cake, and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to give it to her new friend before school started.

            Marinette spotted the head of silky brown hair as it made its way into the school, and she grinned as she jogged to catch up with Lila. She weaved her way through the students as they filtered into the building, skipping up behind Lila and tapping her on the shoulder.

            She thrust the cake out to her, grinning up at the other student.

            “Uh… what’s this?” Lila asked, gingerly accepting the box, as if there might be a bomb inside.

            “A cake! My parents own a bakery,” Marinette explained. “I made it for you.” She smiled at the pleased expression on Lila’s face and turned on her heels, heading for her locker with a spring in her step.

* * *

 

            Marinette sat down next to Alya, sending her friend a smile.

            Alya smiled back, scooching closer and whispering in her ear. “I hear that Adrien is struggling in Chemistry right now. If you offer to tutor him, this could be your opportunity to finally get him to love you!”

            Marinette felt a pang in her chest, and her smile faltered. There was a hollow feeling in her heart, as if something was missing that she couldn’t quite place. “Alya…” she trailed off, glancing nervously at her friend.

            “What?” Alya asked, her smile fading. “What’s wrong?”

            “I haven’t been in Chemistry in weeks!” she said with a laugh, scolding herself for making Alya worry. She didn’t mention that she couldn’t remember anything that they’d learned, or that she couldn’t even remember Adrien. Marinette chuckled at her friend’s embarrassed expression, pulling out her notebook.

* * *

 

_She stared through the glass at the head of brown hair in front of her. It bobbed as its owner slammed herself against the red door, and Marinette felt her heart slamming against her ribcage as if it was trying to break free of its confines. Her limbs felt like lead and the sounds around her were oddly muffled, as if she was underwater. Her vision was fading as black spots appeared, and she sway momentarily._

_Marinette shook her head and took a deep breath, turning around._

_The door wasn’t an option anymore._

_She laid eyes on the fight in front of her, watching as a boy in black leather and cat ears swung a metal rod at the man in front of him. Said man was huge and hulking, with a utility belt that was covered in various plants. He would pull the plants off and throw them at the boy, who would deflect them and duck away as they exploded. Then, the plants would regrow, and he’d do it again._

_There was something wrong with the man._

_He was a dark, unmistakable green, and he appeared to have leaves growing out of his arms and face. He was much larger than the boy, and Marinette felt an urge to help him battle the man, followed by a sense of helplessness as she reached up to grab her earlobes._

_Marinette looked to the entrance again. Her breathing was beginning to grow rapid again, and she had to clench her fists tightly to calm herself._

_She couldn’t go out that way. They were fighting there._

_Then she looked to her left. The stairs seemed the safest option, but she knew that if she ran over there, she could get trapped on the upper level. There would be no escape that way._

_Marinette turned to her right and began running to the nearest classroom. It was risky, but so were all her other options. At least by hiding out on a lower level classroom she could escape later._

_As Marinette ran for the door, she heard the boy yell._

_“Watch out!”_

_Marinette ducked her head down and closed her eyes, missing a step, and crashing to the ground. She felt something fly past her head and opened her eyes in time to see a rogue onion fly through the window to the classroom she was in front of._

_“Oops,” she said calmly as she felt her blood run cold._

_She lifted her arm to block her face as the bomb exploded, and the wall in front of her shattered and launched towards her, crashing into her._

_A large stone nailed her in the forehead and knocked her backwards. Her head bounced off the ground with a sickening crack, but not before she heard a second explosion behind her._

* * *

 

            Marinette screamed as she sat up, jerking away from the hands that were touching her and whipping her head around.

            It took her longer than it should have to figure out where she was, who was touching her and why. She felt shame wash over her when she did, and she muttered an apology as she grabbed her bag and ran out the door.

* * *

 

            Lila watched as the head of black hair a few rows in front of her dropped down, then jerked up again. She watched as the shoulders slumped and as Marinette lowered her head onto her desk and went limp against it. She watched as the teacher spotted her and looked away, probably out of guilt for Marinette’s accident. Mrs. Bustier’s job was to keep her students safe, and it seemed that she felt that she’d failed to do that.

            She watched as Marinette twitched once, then again, then a third time. Then Marinette whimpered, and everyone, including the teacher, forgot about the lesson.

            Alya reached out and touched Marinette’s arm, and the girl screamed and shoved her friend away as she jolted awake. Her blue eyes were wide and wild with the sort of terror that a person only ever experiences when they are certain that they are on the brink of death.

            It was over as suddenly as it had started, and Lila recognized the same guilt and embarrassment on Marinette’s face that had been on Ladybug’s after the Volpina incident.    

            Then, Marinette was sprinting out of the room, and Lila realized that this was her chance to really convince the girl of her trustworthiness.

            Lila was out of her seat before even Alya, and ignored the teacher’s calls as she followed Marinette out of the room.

            After a bit of searching, Lila found Marinette in the corner of the courtyard, staring at the wall across from her.

            Lila followed her gaze.

            The building had been fully repaired after Ladybug had failed to fix everything with her lucky charm, but there were obvious borders between the new sections of stonework and the old. The glass had been replaced and a new door installed, and it was safe to assume that everything inside the room had been replaced, as well. Even the doors to the safe room had been replaced, although it had been switched from needing to be manually unlocked to needing to be manually locked. They didn’t want another Marinette.

            Lila sat down next to Marinette and hesitantly wrapped an arm around her. She nearly punched Marinette when the girl turned and buried her face in her chest, sobbing and clinging to her. Instead, Lila kept up her façade and rubbed Marinette’s back, resting her chin on her head.

            “What’s wrong, darling?” she whispered, cupping Marinette’s cheeks and lifting her face to look at her.

            Marinette grabbed Lila’s wrists and held her hands where she was, sniffling as Lila gently swiped the tears away with the tips of her thumbs.

            “I remember the explosion,” she mumbled, and Lila tensed.

            Before she could think up an excuse for why she might have locked Marinette out with an akuma, the girl continued.

            “I remember you waiting for me and trying to get the door open as everyone else was hiding in the shelter. I remember running to the classroom for cover, and being told to duck… I remember being blasted backwards…” Marinette shuddered, releasing Lila’s wrists, and hugging herself, scooting away from her.

            Lila opened her mouth, but Marinette wasn’t done.

            “I remember… I got hit in the head. Hard. And when I got knocked back, I watched another bomb hit the ground next to the doors. I remember being so… so… so _scared_. I thought you were going to die and I felt so useless and helpless. I wanted to go save you so badly, but then there was this pain in my head and that was it,” she whispered. “And then, afterwards, I remember opening my eyes and _not_ remembering who you were. I thought you were an angel and that you were coming to take me away, and I was so ready to go with you.”

            Lila watched Marinette in silence, her heart wrenching.

            Marinette thought she was going to die, and instead of being afraid for herself, she was afraid for Lila? And she had called Lila a liar! Marinette was hiding something, and Lila intended to find out what it was.

            Maybe Marinette remembered everything. Maybe she was faking amnesia to get revenge on Lila for locking her out. Maybe it was meant to make Lila feel guilty, or to lull her into a false sense of security before Marinette turned on her and humiliated her all over again. Or… she could be lying so that she didn’t have to be Ladybug anymore. There was a chance that Marinette was just too lazy continue her responsibility, and the little bitch had probably just given up.

            Marinette revolted Lila. She had never felt so strongly about anyone before, and she intended to make her revenge _hurt_. She wanted to destroy Marinette. She wanted to hurt her so badly that she would never recover from it, so badly that when Marinette was old, and ugly and dying, she would still feel the pain of it.

            Lila wasn’t sure when her hatred had gotten this intense, or even why. Maybe it was the fact that Marinette still had dozens of friends, after she’d lost her memory. Maybe it was because she was the most beloved superhero in the world, or because she got praised daily for her heroic feats. It could have been because Marinette had a warm, loving family and a gorgeous apartment next to the Eiffel tower, or because Marinette had gotten to live in one place her entire life, or because Paris seemed to love Marinette as much as Marinette loved Paris.

            All Lila knew was that she loathed the girl in front of her, no matter how pretty she pretended to be, inside and out.

            Lila barely even noticed that Marinette had calmed down, until a hand was holding hers. She looked at her blankly, and Marinette had plastered that stupidly sweet smile back on again,

            “Do you want to come over after school?” Marinette blurted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Please leave me any criticism or thoughts/feelings in the comments! Any feedback at all is appreciated (especially if you pick up on any spelling or grammar errors I've made) and really helps me want to keep writing! Have a nice day!


	4. An Interesting Development

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette begins to see Lila in a different light. Lila isn't as oblivious as Adrien is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's only been two days, but I like to keep myself several chapters ahead of publication when I write (I wrote Hetalia fanfictions for a good 2 years before this, good luck finding them, they're not on ao3) and I figured that I may as well post one a day early. Can't hurt, right? Especially since I've almost got the kinks worked out in the climax chapter...  
> Also, warning, I can never remember how I format the title on the previous chapters....

 

**AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT**

* * *

 

            Marinette panicked as she rearranged her notebooks for the fifth time. She was frantic, attempting to find the layout that best gave off the vibe of “she’s organized but not in a try hard way and this is natural, she isn’t trying to impress you.” After the sixth time, she gave up, groaning aloud.

            “Ugh! This isn’t working! I need suggestions, now!” she pleaded, looking over her shoulder. Then, Marinette frowned. Who was she talking to? Maybe she had just developed a habit of talking to herself, or something. She really couldn’t think of any other explanation.

            Marinette returned to her organizing, but this time moved on to shifting around her colored pencils. She moved them into rainbow order, then realized that it was silly to have her pencil jar organized like the color wheel, and moved some around. She grumbled, realizing that Lila would probably think she was stupid, having red next to –

            Her trapdoor creaked as it was opened, and Marinette jumped, squeaking.

            She whipped around, relaxing when she Lila.

            She’d been tense ever since her memory. For some reason, seeing Lila almost die like that was messing with her head, and the last thing Marinette wanted after that memory was to be alone. She hated how useless she felt, and she hated that Lila had had to come out and save her. If she hadn’t been clumsy and tripped, she probably could have run away from the bomb before it exploded. Then, Chat Noir wouldn’t have been distracted and Lila wouldn’t have been put in danger! Or, Marinette could have smacked the bomb away and jumped into the fight, saving Lila and the rest of the class! She could have grabbed a beam or rod from the remnants of previous explosions and used it as a baseball bat, smacking the explosive vegetables back at Gardener. Then, she would work her way forwards slowly, growing closer and closer. Chat Noir would attempt to rejoin the fight, and Marinette would jump on the Gardener’s back, stealing his akumatized belt and destroying it. Chat Noir would thank her and take care of the akuma however he and Ladybug usually took care of it. Meanwhile, Marinette would rush back and pry the doors open with her bare hands, and Lila would fall at Marinette’s feet, praising her and thanking her.

* * *

 

            “Um… Marinette?” Lila asked, waving a hand in front of the girl’s face.

            Marinette snapped to attention and turned pink, rubbing the back of her neck with a laugh. “Sorry, Lila. Got distracted for a minute there. I-I have some snacks ready on the balcony! The sunset is always so pretty from up there!”

            Marinette grabbed Lila’s hand and dragged her up towards the balcony, and Lila smiled momentarily at her enthusiasm.

            As they emerged onto the roof, Lila found herself drawing in a breath. Marinette wasn’t wrong; the view was breathtaking, even if her balcony didn’t face the famed Eiffel tower that sat just a short distance away.

            Instead, it overlooked the river, which glowed red and orange with the setting sun. The cobblestone streets seemed less dreary and more romantic, and Lila realized that nowhere she had lived had ever had streets laid with such care for how they looked. The light colored stonework of the charming, tin-roofed buildings that sprawled out across the horizon reflected the sunset as warmly as the river did. Couples moseyed along below them, either on their way to the tower or alone the sidewalks by the river. Some stopped as they passed the bakery, to peer in the windows, sniff the air, or even slip inside. It was a perspective of the city that Lila hadn’t expected to see, and she suddenly felt as if she was viewing it through Ladybug’s eyes.

            No one was out to get her, here, and she felt no need to draw or keep their attention. Rather, she was content to simply watch them and feel secure in their presence. Up here, Lila could understand why Ladybug was so passionate in her protection of these people. She, too, felt the urge to preserve this serene, breathtaking version of Paris.

            Lila’s eyes drifted to Marinette, who was leaning against the banister. She stood on the bars of the railing itself, so she could lean over farther, her eyes closed as a breeze rustled her hair.

            Lila sat down on the chair under the tarp, her focus remaining on the way Marinette’s hair glowed orange in the light, and the way her skin looked so warm and soft in the gentle lighting.

            “Ever since the accident, I come up here when it feels like something is missing. It doesn’t change how empty not remembering makes me feel, but I can lean over the edge and close my eyes and it feels like I’m flying,” Marinette admitted, voice so soft that Lila almost missed it. “I wonder if I could fly before the explosion. It feels so familiar to me, and I miss it for some reason. I want to just… soar over the city.”

            Marinette stepped down, opening her eyes, and staring at the street below. “I never stay up here for long. I always feel so nostalgic of something, and then so _lonely_.” She didn’t turn around. “I didn’t have friends, Lila. Maybe things are different now, but back then… back to when I can remember… I didn’t. I sat there, and I let Chloe mock me and pick on me, and I hated myself more every time she did. I was so caught up in my own misery that I didn’t realize that she was doing the same thing to everyone else. I pitied myself and took it and went home and cried. I’m happy things are apparently different. I just wish I could remember the look on her face when I told her off the first time,” she admitted bitterly.

            Marinette turned around at last. “I’m so sorry that I turned into her, Lila. I know I said it before, but I want you to know that I mean it.” She walked over to the Italian and knelt before her, taking her hands in hers. “I swear that it’s not like me to be as cruel as I was to you. I guess I was just jealous, and I know now that my behavior was wrong. Looking back, I can hardly believe that I was so mean to someone as amazing as you,” she whispered earnestly, staring up into Lila’s eyes. “I feel different now than I did then. It’s weird, not remembering why I’m different but knowing I am. I want to help people, and I want to make the world a better place. You can’t do that sort of thing while holding grudges against people for things they can’t help. From now on I’m going to be a different Marinette.”

            Lila, who’d been silent this entire time, was still at a loss for words.

            She’d thought that she’d had Marinette pinned. She’d thought that she’d had a chart of Marinette’s personality and behavior all mapped out in her head, but this exchange had wiped away all of Lila’s expectations of her.

            Marinette wasn’t just apologizing to Lila with sweets and kind words in front of her classmates to impress them. She was speaking from her heart, in private, with no one to witness it. She wasn’t just being manipulative to gain Lila’s trust and betray her, she was being genuine and kind, and Lila didn’t know if that made her happy or angry.

            Slowly, Marinette pulled her hands from Lila’s and retreated into her apartment, whispering something about getting tea.

            Lila remained in silence, staring at the spot Marinette had disappeared from.

            She realized that no one would ever know about that conversation. No one else had heard what Marinette had said, or seen the way that Marinette had looked at Lila, or felt the gentleness of her hold on Lila’s hand. No one else had sat where Lila sat, with their hands laced with Marinette’s as the sun set and the breeze blew gently, listening to the girl as she lowered her defenses and admitted to all the secrets that she could remember having.

            Lila wanted to cherish that moment. She wanted to pick it up and cradle it as she wrapped it in fine silks and soft fabrics, before storing it away somewhere secure where she’d never forget it.

            Clearing her throat, Lila shook her head.

            Marinette had hurt her; she didn’t deserve Lila’s sympathy. She had embarrassed her as the city’s most beloved hero in front of her crush, and had destroyed the image that Lila had so carefully woven for herself. She’d ruined all of Lila’s chances for friendship or a relationship with her cruelty, and Lila wouldn’t let that go.

            A familiar spike of anger rose up, and Lila was relieved. She scowled as she waited for Marinette to return, tapping her foot impatiently. The sun had mostly set at this point, and Lila barely saw the glint of something to her left in the dim light.

            She did see it, however, and her curiosity piqued. Lila glanced at the trapdoor, as if that might tell her if Marinette was coming or not, and quickly walked over to the flower pot opposite her. She lifted out a small, semi-circular box, studying it carefully. With surprise, she recognized that this box was Marinette’s diary, and she immediately stuffed it into her purse.

            Marinette must have forgotten that her diary was up here. She would have read it, otherwise, and remembered who she was.

            Lila couldn’t allow that to happen.

            She returned to her seat and waited for Marinette to get back, twiddling her thumbs, and staring up at the sky. There was far too much light pollution to see the stars here, and Lila wished that just once her parents would move them into the middle of nowhere. She’d always wanted to see the night sky sparkle like it did in the movies.

            She lost her train of thought when the trapdoor opened, and Marinette climbed through, holding a tray of pastries and tea.

            “Sorry it took me so long. I was remembering something,” she admitted. “I was thinking back to this time where I had made tea with Rose and Juleka for some after school thing and it was only when I remembered Alya being there that I realized that it was a few months ago. Funny, huh? I almost overlooked it. I had to write it down in my journal for my doctors,” Marinette rambled. Her strange mood from earlier seemed to have vanished, and Lila took it upon herself to relax.

            “That’s great, Marinette! You know, one time back in Italy, I had tea with Aleesha Bianchi? She’s one of the richest people in the world, and is CEO of one of the biggest furniture companies ever!”

            “Really?” Marinette asked, eyes wide. She set the tray down on her table and kneeled before Lila again.

            No. Lila had made that up. Aleesha Bianchi wasn’t even a really person. But she need to win Marinette over, needed to gain her trust enough to be able to search her room for the Ladybug earrings.

            “Yeah. She’s gorgeous. She’s got long blonde hair and these big blue eyes and she’s super tall. It’s amazing that someone could be that pretty and rich, it’s almost like a storybook character or something,” Lila continued.

            “I’m sure she’s not as beautiful as you are. Personally, I prefer brunettes with green eyes,” Marinette chimed in casually, and Lila paused.

            “Are you gay?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

            “W-what? N-no, of c-c-course not!” Marinette spluttered, throwing her hands into the air defensively. “What gives you that impression? I just think that pretty are brunettes! I mean brunettes are pretty!”

            “I thought blonds were more your type. Blond models, that is,” Lila said cautiously, testing the waters.

            As expected, Marinette cringed, and Lila smirked. “Or so everyone keeps telling you, huh? But you don’t even remember him, do you? How could you be in love with someone when you have no idea who they are? You’ve barely even spoken with him since you’ve been back. It’s no surprise that you’ve fallen for someone else.”

            After all, from what she’d heard from eavesdropping, Marinette fell in love with Adrien the moment he showed her some kindness. It wasn’t a shock to her that Marinette might develop a crush on Lila for ‘saving her life.’

            With a nervous chuckle and a forced grin, Marinette replied, “I g-guess you could say that.”

            Lila leaned in close to Marinette, until their faces were mere inches apart. She reached behind Marinette as the girl tensed up, her eyes widening and her cheeks reddening. Whether she had recognized it yet or not, Lila knew that Marinette had it _bad_ for her. She smiled at Marinette as she plucked a pastry off the table behind them. “Sorry, darling. Couldn’t reach the macaroons,” she drawled, before leaning back.

            Marinette nodded stiffly and swallowed, reaching up to tuck an imaginary hair behind her ear.

            Lila smiled as Marinette’s gaze remained fixated on the ground, suddenly very proud of herself. It looked like this was going to be easier than she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that Lila is ridiculously good at flirting. Also, I write a good 10 pages in Word, and it comes out to barely anything on here! What's up with that?  
> Anyways.... same note as always! Constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged, and I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have a wonderful day, my dears!


	5. Marinette's First Akuma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loneliness, memories, and Marinette’s first akuma.

 

MARINETTE’S FIRST AKUMA

* * *

 

             Lila closed her apartment door behind herself, clicking the lock and kicking off her shoes.

            “I’m home!” she called as she padded into the kitchen. She was unsurprised when there was no reply. Her parents were either not home or far too engrossed in their work to notice where their daughter was.

            A small note was taped to the surface of their pristinely shining, metal fridge. It was the only item on it, and Lila knew that it would be thrown away as soon as her parents saw it next, if she didn’t take it off herself.

            She plucked it from the door and read aloud, “At work late. Order dinner. Money on counter.” She rolled her eyes. “Wow. I almost got a complete sentence out of that. Thanks, mom and dad.”

            She looked around the dark and empty apartment and wrapped her arms around herself as she leaned against the marble countertops. Her parents had insisted on styling the entire place with gray, black, and white, and nothing else. The dining room consisted of a glass table and highbacked, black leather chairs. There was a gray rug that separated the table from the dark wood floor, and a vase containing a single, fake flower sat in the center of the table. A large, abstract painting that was equally as monotonous as the room surrounding it hung on the wall above the table. A half-wall separated this room from the next: the living room. For a living room, it sure didn’t look lived in. A rectangular white couch sat against the wall and two gray armchairs sat facing it. There was a rug in this room, but only to lessen the echo that came with the tall walls and lack of possessions. There was a bookshelf against one wall, but it contained only the books that Lila’s parents had published themselves, and some small, porcelain objects. There were no children’s drawings, no report cards, no awards or trophies, and no family photos anywhere to be seen. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest that this apartment belonged to a family at all, and Lila felt a familiar sinking feeling in her stomach.

            Loneliness.

            She looked around at the gray tones and longed to return to Marinette’s home. Sure, the pink all over the apartment was a bit excessive, but at least her house was a home. Marinette’s artwork was proudly displayed in nearly every corner of the apartment, and there were so many family photos that Lila hadn’t had time to snoop through them all. Albums had been placed neatly on every shelf of one of their bookshelves and had been lovingly labeled with the year and season in which the photos contained had been taken. The couch, despite being just as white as her own, was decorated with throw pillows and blankets and faced the Dupain-Cheng’s large windows. Even kitchen seemed more welcoming, and Lila wasn’t sure if it was the open floor plan, the pink tiles, or the bright blue fridge, or some combination of all three that achieved the effect.

            All Lila was sure of was that the rug trick hadn’t worked, and the room echoed just as much as it ever had.

            Lila pocketed the money her parents had left her and microwaved herself a meal from the freezer, before retreating into the orange warmth of her room.

* * *

 

            Lila opened the diary to the last updated page, rubbing her thumb over Marinette’s loopy hand writing. How she’d managed to make her penmanship adorable was beyond Lila. The letters were small and round, with extra loops at random points. Her letters were dotted with little circles, and she put a swirl on the end of the last letter of every sentence. Her writing had just as much personality as she did, and Lila was jealous that her own straight and rigid letters didn’t share that trait.

            She flipped to the beginning of the most recent entry.

            _“Dear Diary, today is going to be awful. I had a bad dream, which is probably my Miraculous’ way of warning me not to go to school. I don’t have a choice, unfortunately, because I have to present in Literature. Alya also decided to give me earrings for my birthday yesterday, which means that I’m going to have to wear them today. I’m too scared of my own klutziness to bring the Ladybug earrings with me to school, so I’m going to hide them where my parents will never find them if they come in here. At least the new ones are pretty… anyways, I hope an akuma doesn’t attack today, because I’ll be completely defenseless if I do. I’ll let you know what happens later.”_

            Lila smiled triumphantly. That was it! That proved that Marinette was Ladybug, without a doubt! Unfortunately, the diary didn’t say where the earrings were hidden, but Lila had a plan for that, too! She just needed to convince Marinette to let her sleepover that weekend, and she could snoop around while the other girl was sleeping.

            For fun, Lila decided to flip to another entry and begin reading.

            _“I wish that I hadn’t been so harsh to Chloe today. I called her a brat. It made me realize that, in my attempts to fight against her, I’ve become just like her. Alya accused Chloe of getting everyone in the class akumatized, and that’s when I saw that we’re the same. Even if some of them are indirect, I caused at least thirteen akumatizations by now. Do you know how many Chloe has caused? Ten. I’ve hurt more people than Chloe Bourgeois has. Tikki keeps telling me that it’s not the same, because I try to help people afterwards, but I know she’s just being nice. I don’t think I’m cut out for being a hero. Paris deserves better than me.”_

Lila stopped reading after a moment, feeling a pang in her chest. She equated it with the realization that she wasn’t the first person that Marinette had hurt, rather than guilt that Marinette felt this poorly of herself. She sighed and closed the diary, setting it on her desk and laying back in her bed.

* * *

 

            Marinette had, like her usual self, shown up late to school that day. Mrs. Bustier had been going easy on her since her accident, however, so she didn’t comment when Marinette ran in twenty minutes late, red-faced and panting but grinning.

            She’d barely been able to sit still in her seat for the remainder of the period, and when lunch break was called, she’d zipped over to where Lila sat and grabbed her hand. Then, Lila was being dragged out the door and out into the yard, where Marinette dropped down onto a bench with her.

            “Guess what?” Marinette chirped, bouncing up and down so quickly that Lila looked as if she might get motion sickness just from looking at her.

            “What?” Lila asked, frowning.

            “I remembered something! I remember my birthday! Alya got me these earrings! They have little bunnies on them!” she announced, turning her head so that Lila could see them. “She found them when she was on vacation and she kept them for months just to give them to me then! Isn’t that sweet? I’ve always loved them so much, and now I know why!”

            Marinette’s smile faltered when Lila didn’t seem pleased. She’d always liked to make people happy, and Lila was the hardest person to satisfy out of everyone she’d met. Aside from Chloe, that is. “What’s wrong?”

            Lila blinked, surprised, then shook her head and sighed. She spoke softly, earnestly, “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up that all your memories will return. I don’t want you hurt if you don’t ever get everything back. I understand that you’ll be losing out on hundreds of memories and experiences, but I’d be happy to help you make new ones, and I know everyone else would be, too. I-I guess what I’m trying to say is… it’s okay if you can’t remember everything, because no one expects you too. You’re the same Marinette, whether you remember or not.”

            Marinette’s eyes widened, and her cheeks burned as she _melted_ on the inside. She laid her hands over her chest, as if her heart might burst through her ribcage, and stared at her lap. “Lila,” she whispered. “That’s so sweet. Thank you.”

            It was Lila’s turn to blush as Marinette hugged her.

            The moment was cut short as something sailed past the pair, skimming Lila’s arm on the way by.

            Lila cried out and yanked away from Marinette, grabbing her bleeding arm. “Damnit! What the hell?”

            Marinette turned to study whatever it was that had hurt Lila, frowning when she saw what appeared to be a metal spear sticking out of the dirt. She walked over and grasped the base, yanking it free without much issue. She looked at Lila questioningly, but the girl wasn’t paying attention.

            Lila was cowering against the bench as a man stood over her. He was tall and pudgy, with gray eyes and a greasy smile that made Marinette’s insides twist in an unpleasant manner. His arms, legs, and torso were covered in plates of various types of metal, forming a sort of armor. He wore a metal, moth shaped mask that covered his eyes and nose, and Marinette found her heart was pounding for a different reason. He was like the last akuma she’d seen, wicked and angry and so full of hate that Marinette couldn’t help but quiver as she stared at him. He leaned close to Lila, producing another metal spear.

            “It seems I missed the first time. My apologies. Let me try again.”

            _A man with sickly green skin. A boy in a cat suit. An intense pain in her forehead._

_A bomb hits the ground next to two red doors._

            Before she knew what she was doing, Marinette swung the metal rod over head with as much force as she could muster, screaming with the pent-up rage of a teenage girl who’d lost her memories to an akuma just weeks prior.

            The rod hit the back of the man’s skull with enough force that it bounced out of her hands and he crumpled onto the bench, on top of Lila.

            Lila scrambled back with a shriek, toppling off the bench and crawling backwards.

* * *

 

            Lila watched, horrified, as the villain rose to his feet, clutching the back of his head. She could see a lump forming there already, and Marinette’s pole seemed to be a bit bent in the middle from the strike. Being akumatized must have offered a certain level of invulnerability, because there was no way that he should have been getting up from a blow like that.

            He grabbed the bench for support and shook his head, glaring at Marinette.

            “You little bitch,” he sneered, producing another spear from mid-air.

            “Stay away from her,” Marinette ordered confidently, crouching down and holding the rod like a baseball bat. “I’ll hit you again.”

            “No one mistreats the Blacksmith!” he roared, launching the weapon at Marinette.

            Lila’s dropped to her knees and hunched over, covering the back of her head with her hands. She waited for the sound of metal piercing flesh, for the sound of Marinette’s screams of pain, for the Blacksmith’s laughter.

            Her ears were met with only a frustrated yell and feminine giggles.

            “Wow. Not only is your name stupid, but your aim _sucks_ , and I have _two_ weapons now!” she taunted, and Lila felt like fainting with relief.  
            “Wait a minute, I know you! You’re the girl that lost her memory in the last akuma attack! You just don’t have much luck, do you?” Blacksmith retorted, and Marinette just laughed. Her voice was getting further away, and Lila realized with dread that she was drawing the villain away from the school.

            “Me, unlucky? Are you kidding? You do realize that this just means that this is the second time that Hawkmoth has failed to kill me, right? Not only does he stink at beating Chat Noir and Ladybug, but he can’t even kill a teenage girl! What a loser!”

            Lila stood up, flinching as Blacksmith launched another spear, which Marinette expertly dodged. She was too good at this… she’d had practice dodging attacks over the past two years, Lila realized with growing anxiety.

            Marinette was being uncharacteristically mean, and Lila knew that it was just to ensure that the akuma turned its attention away from the school.

            The girl ducked under another throw and dove behind Blacksmith, once again smacking him in the head with the rod… exactly where she’d already hit. Marinette went in for a third hit, but Blacksmith anticipated her move and ducked, then kicked her feet out from under her.

            She hit the ground on her back and rolled onto her stomach as soon as she’d recovered, reaching for the pole she’d dropped.

            Blacksmith stepped one foot on Marinette’s back, pushing her down into the ground. Marinette gasped for air, eyes locking on Lila as she stood by the bench, petrified.

            “Run, Lila!” she yelled, and Lila, for once, did as she was told.

            She turned and run up the stairs, crying out when she heard the sickening sound of metal hitting flesh.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akumas are counted until the Sapotis episode… and yes, Marinette did get blown up on her birthday. Tough break


	6. Hero Through and Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's close call leads both girls to a discovery that neither was entirely prepared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is the longest of all done so far... but the end is approaching.

**HERO THROUGH AND THROUGH**

* * *

 

            Lila slammed the door to the school, collapsing against the stone floor. She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes, shivering uncontrollably and gasping for breath.

            What was Marinette thinking? She wasn’t a hero, for all she could remember! She didn’t know that she was Ladybug! Why would she think it was okay to just step in like that? This akuma wasn’t just some freak with a bubble wand or a baby that wanted a lollipop! He was trying to kill, and Marinette fucking Dupain-Cheng had thought it was a good idea to just smack him in the back of the head with a metal rod?

            No wonder why this girl had gotten herself blown up! It was only a matter of time, considering how stupid she could be!

            No, that wasn’t Marinette’s fault.

            That was Lila’s fault.

            Fuck, this was Lila’s fault, too! Marinette would never have tried to save Lila if she could remember what she had done to her! She would never have sacrificed herself like that if she knew that Lila had been the one who had gotten her hurt in the first place.

            Lila sobbed into her hands, ignorant to the student approaching her. The girl knelt next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to get her to stand so they could retreat to the safe-room.

            “Don’t touch me!” she yelled, slapping the hands away and whipping her head around to give the girl the nastiest look she could form. “Don’t put your filthy hands on me, you—”

            Marinette stared down at her, one black eyebrow arched high into her forehead, and the other curved downwards. Her pink lips settled into a surprised ‘O’ shape as she pulled her hands away from Lila, bringing them up to brush her bangs out of her face. The way the sun hit the back of Marinette’s head made her hair glow like a bluish black halo, and Lila drew in a sharp breath.

            “Marinette?” she asked unsurely, frantically moving to wipe away her tears.

            “Are you okay, Lila?” Marinette asked. “Does your arm hurt that bad?”

            “Does my arm hurt? Does my _arm_ hurt? Marinette, you idiot! Are _you_ okay? I thought you were _dead_!” Lila grabbed Marinette’s cheeks and studied her face for any signs of injury. When she was certain that Marinette was, in fact, alive, she hugged her tightly.

            “I’m sorry,” Marinette said sincerely, stroking Lila’s hair. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Chat Noir stepped in at the last second and knocked Blacksmith off me.”

            “You don’t get to just jump in there like that! You don’t get to just throw yourself into a fight like that, with no protection and no experience, because you want to feel like a hero! You’re not a hero, Marinette, you’re just a teenage girl!” Lila yelled, shoving Marinette back again. “You’re just a nobody! You’re no Ladybug!”

            Marinette didn’t look offended.

            Instead, she smiled shyly, settling into the position that Lila had pushed her into.

            “If I hadn’t stepped in, you would have died. He was ready to kill you, Lila,” she reasoned. Marinette saw Lila open her mouth and kept speaking, this time louder. “I couldn’t just let that happen. I watched him, leaning over you like that, and I saw how scared you were, and I remembered how scared I felt when I saw that bomb outside of the shelter door. I felt helpless and useless all over again, and I decided that I wasn’t going to sit there like a damsel in distress and watch my best friend die. I did something, Lila! I faced my fears, and we’re both okay!”

            Lila found herself staring at Marinette all over again.

            Her big, blue eyes twinkled, and her lips were drawn up into a proud smile. She was proud of herself, Lila realized with a start. Marinette wasn’t being smug. She wasn’t gloating or holding it against her. She wasn’t chastising Lila for running away or teasing her for sitting there uselessly. There wasn’t an ounce of meanness in the entirety of Marinette’s body, and Lila found herself once again drawing her in for a hug.

            After the battle was over, and Chat Noir had trapped the akuma in what appeared to be an empty Tupperware container, students began filtering out of the shelter again.

            “Chat Noir stepped in and stopped me from losing another two years’ worth of memories,” Marinette joked when asked what had happened. She wasn’t oblivious to the way Lila’s hand tightened around hers when she said that, it seemed, because she stopped kidding and stepped closer to her friend. She didn’t elaborate on what had happened when Alya asked, just left it at what she had already said.

* * *

 

            Try as she may, Marinette just couldn’t seem to understand Lila. One minute, Lila was leaning in a bit too close and smirking, and the next she was sitting as far away as she could possibly get and giving her these weird looks like Marinette had said or done something offensive.

            Talk about mixed signals.

            Marinette sighed dreamily.

            She was laying on her back on her bed, her head at the foot. Her trapdoor sat open, and she was staring up at the sky above herself. Occasionally, a pleasant breeze would drift into the room, ruffling Marinette’s hair where it hung off the bed behind her.

            Marinette watched with vague interest as a ladybug drifted lazily into her room. She raised her hand up, humming happily when the ladybug seemed to take her hint and landed on her outstretched finger. It crawled along slowly for several seconds, then lifted off again. It flew out into the city once more, leaving Marinette alone in her thoughts.

            _“It’s no surprise that you’ve fallen for someone else” Lila whispered, her face so near to Marinette that she nearly forgot how to breathe._

_Lila smelled of lavender, Marinette noticed, as she licked her lips nervously. She couldn’t stop her eyes from darting downwards to take note of just how close Lila’s lips were to her own. If she leaned forwards just an inch or two, they would be touching._

_Cheeks flushing, Marinette wondered what Lila would taste of. She bet that it would be something sugary sweet, since Lila seemed to have a bit of a weak spot for pastries. Marinette wanted to know so badly that she leaned forwards to find out, just as Lila pulled back._

_“Sorry, darling. Couldn’t reach the macaroons,” Lila drawled with the expression of someone who was very much_ not _sorry._

            Marinette whined, pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes and rolling onto her stomach.

            _Lila stared out at the street before them. Her large, hazel eyes were unmoving and unfocused as she sat on the wooden bench. Lila’s hair blew around her face, but she took no notice. Instead, she let out a sigh, leaning forwards and closing her eyes. She shifted into the only patch of sunlight in their shady spot in the part, the warm light lighting her up like a spotlight. As Lila basked in its warmth, Marinette stared longingly at her. The light revealed her prettiest features to Marinette, and the girl wanted nothing more than to have Lila as her own._

_Swallowing, Marinette looked down between them, staring at Lila’s hand where it sat on the bench. She glanced at Lila’s face again, then shifted her pinky finger over. It brushed against Lila’s, and Marinette’s cheeks burned as she yanked her hand away guiltily._

            Marinette snatched up the pillow beside her and bit it, screaming into it and punching it repeatedly.

            Damnit, damnit, damnit!

            This wasn’t fair!  
            Why the hell did Lila have to be so pretty?

            She was preparing to release another scream into her pillow when her phone went off beside her, revealing the contact photo of the object of her frustration. Her cheeks turned progressively redder as her phone continued to buzz, and she vaguely registered that she should probably answer it.

            Slowly, as if it could explode at any moment, Marinette pinched her phone between two fingers and lifted it off her bed. She hesitated, hoping that Lila would hang up, and then answering when she inevitably didn’t.

            “Hel-llo?” Marinette squeaked, cringing at the atrocious way her voice cracked.

            “Hey, Marinette,” a smooth voice replied. “It’s Lila.”

            “It’s Marinette,” Marinette said intelligently, holding back her urge to vomit as Lila laughed at her.

            Whether it was directed at her or not, Marinette adored Lila’s laugh. It was high and tinkling, but not shrill. It was much goofier than her typical personality, but Marinette loved that it wasn’t some refined, polite laugh. In fact, she’d heard it directed at Chloe before, and it was fantastic to hear that Lila hated Chloe as much as Marinette did. Besides that, however, it was infectious in nature. She knew that she never would have been able to resist her own giggle if she tried. She needed to make Lila laugh like that more. It didn’t happen nearly enough.

            “Someone’s a bit nervous,” Lila teased, and Marinette could picture the playful smile on her lips. God, she wanted to kiss those lips. She wanted to grab Lila by the sides of her pretty tan face and yank her down for one. She wanted to feel them brush against her forehead or cheek as if by habit, or to feel them on her neck or her—

            Marinette gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

            “Uh, Marinette? Are you listening?” Lila asked, her voice shaking with laughter.

            “No,” Marinette admitted shamefully. “S-sorry. I got distracted.”

            “What could be so important that it distracts you from me?” Lila asked mirthfully.

            “You,” Marinette answered honestly, deciding to take the risk and flirt back.

            There was a long pause, and Marinette found herself wondering if she had taken it too far this time. She was suddenly certain that she had, and she chewed her lip, squeezing her eyes shut.

            Then, that beautiful, wonderful laugh yanked that thought from her head.

            “You’re so adorable, Marinette,” Lila observed, and Marinette’s heart _swelled_. “Can you come over right now? My parents aren’t home, and the apartment is kind of lonely.”

            “Yes!”

* * *

 

            Marinette tugged at the edge of her shirt, adjusting it for the hundredth time since she’d put it on.

            She’d selected a black circle skirt that hung to just above her knees. She’d made it herself out of some leftover fabric several years ago, though she only rarely wore it. To go with it, she’d picked a white, translucent blouse that she’d found at a thrift store, and altered to fit her better (not that she remembered this). The sleeves were puffy, but the shirt tightened around her wrist, and it made Marinette feel adorable. She hadn’t touched it in a long time, paranoid that her clumsiness would result in a destroyed shirt. Around the collar, she’d tied a silky black ribbon into a pretty, little bow. She’d also worn her nicest pair of flats, and some faint makeup. Her hair had been straightened and left down for the day, though she had two ponytails looped around her wrist just in case.

            Marinette’s primary objective for the evening was to see if Lila’s flirting had any real meaning behind it. If it didn’t, she was going to make damn well sure that next time it did. If Lila didn’t already love her, she certainly would soon.

            Marinette knocked on the apartment door, folding her hands in front of herself and rocking back and forth on her heels. She heard footsteps drawing closer to the door, followed by the sound of locks sliding open. She beamed up at Lila when the door opened.

            “Hello!” she chirped.

            “Hey…”

            Lila’s eyes widened as they locked on Marinette, and she was no oblivious to the way that Lila’s gaze raked over her. She pretended not to notice as she leaned up to kiss both of Lila’s cheeks, before slipping past her into the apartment. She was painfully aware of Lila’s presence behind her, of just how close Lila stood to her. Marinette swallowed, glancing about the apartment.

            She hated it.

            It was too well decorated. All the furniture was so meticulously placed that it looked like it came out of a furniture catalogue. Even then, it didn’t have the intention of looking lived in, like a magazine photo might. Rather, it looked as if Lila’s parents had tried to make it look like the place was a museum display, as if the furniture was meant to be kept sparkling clean, and then left untouched.

            Lila stepped past Marinette and walked down a hall, motioning for Marinette to follow.

            She was more than happy to walk behind Lila.

            Lila was already taller than Marinette, but the heels she insisted on wearing all the time ensured that she towered over Marinette. They did wonders for her legs, too. It elongated them and, with the help of her tight jeans, showed off all of Lila’s gorgeous curves. Lila was divine, and it left Marinette’s mouth dry.

            The door that Lila opened led to one of the coolest bedrooms that Marinette had ever seen.

            It was painted a warm orange on three walls. The fourth was white but covered in a massive photo gallery. It show-cased pictures of various cities, towns, and villages from different countries, as well as pictures of Lila with her friends from these places. They were all polaroid pictures, carefully protected and clipped to strings that were tacked to her wall. It almost seemed like Lila was trying to make up for the lack of photos in the apartment by attaching as many as humanly possible to the wall above her bed. It was endearing.

            There were various knickknacks and souvenirs from Lila’s different homes scattered about the room. The sheer number of objects that Lila was holding onto contrasted sharply with the obvious minimalism of her parents.

* * *

 

“Your room is so cute!” Marinette squealed, turning to look at Lila. “It’s so warm and welcoming!”

            “Not as cute as you,” Lila replied smoothly, and Marinette’s eyes bulged out of her face. Her face was so red that Lila thought she might spring a leak and shoot steam out of her ears. It wasn’t entirely unlikely, at this point. Marinette was full of surprises.

            For one, she hadn’t known that Marinette was so confident. Even without her memory, Marinette always seemed so sure of who she was and what she wanted. Even last week on the balcony, when she’d been at her most vulnerable, she had a clear understanding of who she was. She had insisted that she would never want to hurt Lila and apologized for it, even if she didn’t know. When the Blacksmith had attacked the other day, she’d jumped in without hesitation to save Lila. She was confident in her skin, and she was sure of her abilities. She knew just how to get anyone to love her, no matter how much they may have initially hated her.

            “Did you get all dressed up just for me?” Lila pressed, sitting on her bed, and patted the spot next to her. She placed her laptop on the bench at the end of her bed, pulling up Netflix as Marinette slipped onto the mattress next to her.

            “I-I, well, n-no! I j-just was wearing this already for a, um, thing my parents were hosting. Y-yeah, they had some f-friends over, and they made me up dress! Dress up!” Marinette explained, scrambling for an excuse.

            “It’s okay if you were,” Lila started. “I wouldn’t mind.” She reached over and flicked Marinette under the chin, winking at her. “You look amazing, as always.”

            Marinette melted into a puddle beside her, and Lila giggled as she selected a movie for them to watch.

            They sat back on Lila’s bed, propped up against the headboard. Neither girl paid any mind to the movie that was playing, and instead they found themselves chatting over it the entire time.

            At some point during the second film, Lila’s arm had found its way around Marinette’s shoulders. By halfway through the third, Marinette was asleep on her shoulder, her arms wrapped around Lila’s torso as she held on for dear life. Lila cautiously reached over for her phone and picked it up, opening the camera app and snapping a selfie of the moment. She smiled as she set it as her background, before setting her phone aside. She turned her attention back to the movie, stroking Marinette’s hair as her warm breath blew over Lila’s neck.

            Lila found herself growing increasingly distracted by the soft, happy noises Marinette made as she dreamt, and finally gave up on pretending to care about the film. She looked down at the girl on her shoulder and shook her head affectionately, reaching her arm out to switch the light off. She laid down with Marinette, pulling her to her chest as she tugged one of her blankets over them.

            Lila hadn’t had her eyes shut for long before the both of their phones went off at once. She sighed and plucked hers from the blankets, frowning when she saw that it was just a notification that there was another akuma attack in progress. It had the same instructions as all of them; Stay indoors, keep the lights off, Chat Noir and Ladybug would handle it, don’t interfere, etcetera.

            She tossed her phone aside, then gasped softly. She snatched up her phone and reread the message a few times. Guilt blossomed in her chest as she discovered that the city had removed Ladybug’s name from the message. There’d been a lot of debate on various websites and television statements about what had happened to Ladybug. The working theory, for the time being, was that Ladybug had been crushed by rubble in one of Gardener’s explosions a few months back. Not every building had been as lucky as the school had, and several had been demolished completely in the Gardener’s attempts to replace the city with a flourishing garden. Marinette also hadn’t been the only injured; several others had been hurt as well, though none as badly as Ladybug herself. Lila could think of one instance where Chat Noir had been asked if he thought Ladybug was dead, and the poor boy had looked ready to cry immediately. He didn’t seem like someone who could accept loss easily.

            The city was mourning the loss of their hero, and Chat Noir was struggling to take on Hawkmoth on his own, without Ladybug’s lucky charms…

            … and it was Lila’s fault.

            Suddenly, she found herself wondering what she was doing, lying in bed with Marinette.

            She’d locked the girl out of the only safe place during one of the more dangerous akuma attacks. She’d allowed her to get hurt, seriously enough that she lost her memory. She’d put Ladybug out of commission and stolen her diary so that she didn’t find out that she was Ladybug and go back to saving the city. She’d plotted to steal the earrings and replace her, all while allowing Hawkmoth to pummel Chat Noir with increasingly difficult akumas. She’d ruined Marinette’s life, stolen her memories and all the things that had been dear to her, and then made herself the center of her world. She’d lied to Marinette to gain her trust, with the intention of betraying her and wrecking her emotionally.

            With growing dread, Lila discovered that she wasn’t the good guy anymore. She hadn’t been the good guy in a long time, now, and possibly never had been to begin with.

            Lila’s eyes stung as tears reached them, dripping out onto her pillows.

            She cared for Marinette, now. She wasn’t the same person that she was a couple of months ago, wasn’t the same person as a week ago. She knew that Marinette was good, and she knew that Marinette didn’t deserve what had been done to her. She’d made a silly mistake out of jealousy, and so had Lila. They were more than even, now, and Lila made up her mind that the plotting would be over with. She would take care of Ladybug, from now on, and guide her towards rediscovering who she was. Lila wasn’t brave enough to admit the truth, but she’d let Marinette remember on her own.

            She would give Marinette her world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> urgggh, I had a super awesome idea for an ending, but it's not canon compliant anymore! So frustrated!


	7. Truth Be Told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila reveals her feelings to Marinette, but the universe doesn’t seem to think that they should be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end.

 

**TRUTH BE TOLD**

* * *

 

            A few hours after they initially fell asleep, Marinette was awakened by a nightmare. It wasn’t unusual; she frequently woke up screaming from the memory of something she would forget as soon as her eyes shot open. She’d whip her head around in a panic and reach out for the lamp on her bedside table. As soon as she recognized her surroundings, she would relax again and maybe manage to fall back asleep, if she was lucky. Usually, however, the dreams kept her awake, with adrenaline coursing through her veins as she searched desperately for their contents in her mind, until the sun rose.

 Sometimes she dreamt of the explosion, and she had once dreamt of the Blacksmith, but the most frequent ones didn’t present themselves to her in her waking hours. On one occasion, she could remember bits and pieces of one of her nightmares.

            She could remember orange, a flute, a friend in danger, and a feeling of immense regret. The harder she tried to decipher these fragments, the further they slipped from her grasp. It left her with a sense of frustration unlike any she’d ever experience. Having knowledge be close enough to touch, but not enough to grasp was infuriating. She _needed_ to know what had happened to her that her classmates either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell her. It was driving her insane.

            On this evening, Marinette had another nightmare. As with all other bad dreams, she sat bolt upright, chest heaving as she gasped for air. She looked around frantically, trying to find some sort of landmark in the darkness of the room to calm her. She searched for something familiar, something secure, but (unsurprisingly, in Lila’s room) couldn’t find anything. Panic began to rise in her chest as she felt something tighten around her waist and hold on to her, and she yanked herself away from it forcefully. She scrambled away, toppling backwards off the bed, and crashed to the floor.

            A light switched on, blinding Marinette temporarily, and she heard a voice groggily call out her name.

            _Lila_.

            She heard feet hit the floor and pad around the side of the bed to where she lay, and she couldn’t help but let out a sob as she rolled over onto her hands and knees, tears dripping down her face.

            “I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m sorry I freaked out like that,” she insisted, voice shaking as she brushed Lila’s gentle hands off her.

            Lila didn’t take no for an answer, and grabbed her shoulders, easing her off her hands so she could look her in the face. She cupped Marinette’s cheeks and swiped the tears away with the soft pads of her thumb. She looked at Marinette with such worry and affection that Marinette sobbed again, slumping forwards into her friend. She wrapped her arms around her and clutched her back, burying her face in her neck.

            It took several minutes for Marinette to calm. Lila whispered to her in Italian, and Marinette’s grip slowly relaxed. She was exhausted from crying and allowed Lila to support her completely as she sucked in hiccupping breaths. She could feel the familiar calm that followed a good cry and was content to remain slumped over in Lila’s lap. Lila was warm, and Marinette felt safe with her, and she basked in the feeling of Lila’s fingers running through her hair and over her back.

            “What did you dream about?” Lila questioned, cautiously. The question was inevitable, of course, but that didn’t mean that Marinette had been looking forwards to it.

            Unable to lie to Lila, she chose to give her the most honest answer she could.

            “I don’t know. I can’t remember. I never can,” she whispered.

            Lila sat silently for what seemed like forever, and Marinette began to worry about just what her reply might be to that.

            “You have these dreams frequently?”

            Marinette swallowed, choosing her words carefully.

            “Yes… every night. I never remember what they’re about, but it scares me. I want to remember so bad but I’m terrified that something traumatic happened to me that keeps giving me these nightmares. What if something really horrible happened to me, Lila?” she asked, pulling back to look at Lila. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her tears had irritated streaks running down them from her tears.

            “Then, when you remember, we’ll get through it. Together,” Lila whispered, brushing Marinette’s hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

            Something about the way that Lila said together had Marinette’s heart skipping a beat. Her emotions were raw, and she was mentally and physically exhausted, but Lila was so sweet and beautiful and perfect that Marinette couldn’t ignore the way her breath hitched.

            Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, Marinette closed her eyes and leaned in.

            Her heart was pounding so loudly that she could hear it hammering away at the inside of her ribcage, as if trying to break free of it. Her hands were shaking, both from the nightmare and the looming threat of rejection, and she was still struggling to avoid her random gasps for air, but she took the risk. She waited for too long and was about to leap from Lila’s arms when she felt something against her mouth at long last.

            Suddenly, everything felt okay, and _right_. She wasn’t scared any longer, because the love of her life was kissing her, and promising to be with her through her tough times. Lila hadn’t laughed at her, or pushed her away again, or gotten angry. She’d returned Marinette’s feelings, and that made Marinette feel like the safest person in the world.

            It ended far too quickly, but Marinette was still struggling through the aftermath of her dream, and she didn’t want her hurt to carry this too far too quickly. She leaned back into Lila’s grasp again, going limp in her arms.

            “I should call my parents… tell them I’m safe,” she mumbled, and Lila hummed.

            Marinette was asleep again seconds after, and Lila gathered the smaller girl into her arms and lifted her up, laying her down in the bed. She unlocked Marinette’s phone and texted them that she’d be staying the night as she slipped under the covers next to her.

            Lila switched off the light, gathered her new girlfriend into her arms, and kissed her forehead.

            “Goodnight, Marinette. Sweet dreams, beautiful.”

* * *

 

            Having parents that didn’t pay attention to what happened in your life could certainly be convenient, at times.  It allowed Lila to spend time with Marinette whenever she felt like it. Sure, she was lying when she said she was at home and not at the mall, but it was for the greater good! Marinette was more important than her parent’s disconnected questions. Besides, it wasn’t like her parents would go check. There was an unspoken rule in the Rossi household; Lila didn’t disturb anything in the apartment, and her parents wouldn’t set foot in her room, wouldn’t even touch the door. They rarely ever went in, and even then, it was only if they were invited inside or if they absolutely needed to.

            Lila didn’t care. It worked out for the better, anyways. She’d been able to sneak out for dates with Marinette without suspicion for weeks. It didn’t seem to even occur to her parents that their daughter was of dating age, to be honest, and they had no clue that she had a girlfriend.

            Lila didn’t care. It worked out for the better, anyways, she liked to tell herself.  
            Unfortunately, she did care, and her parents’ negligence drove her to lie more to her friends. She figured that, if she made herself the most interesting person that any of them knew, then they would never forget of her existence, never ignore her. She was right, to a degree. She attracted plenty of friends by pretending to know world-famous celebrities, but those friendships were usually one-sided and short-lived. Any boyfriends or girlfriends ditched her as soon as her lies were discovered, and Lila would always be left lonelier than before. She couldn’t stop herself, though. She couldn’t fight the thrill that came with deceiving people, couldn’t fight the satisfaction she got when she got away with something.

            This was why, after three weeks as Marinette’s girlfriend, she still hadn’t told her who she was. Lila had returned the diary to her planter, sure, but she hadn’t shown her where it was, or even searched for her ladybug earrings. The guilt from the accident, and from her past goal of Marinette’s destruction had faded, and Lila was back to her old ways. She loved Marinette too much to let her go, even if that meant lying to her for the rest of their lives. She didn’t care if Paris needed Ladybug, didn’t care if Marinette never found out the truth. She couldn’t risk the possibility that Marinette would leave her if she discovered Lila’s sins.

* * *

 

            Hair pulled up into her signature pigtails, Marinette sat alone on the bench. She’d thrown on a flowy white dress and pink flats for the date, even if Alya and Nino were supposed to be tagging along, and even if they were just going to the mall. She wanted to look good for Lila, because he liked the way that Lila stared when she did.

            Marinette perked up when a voice called her name, and she grinned when she spotted Alya jogging over to join her.

            She stood and hugged her friend, rocking back and forth with a laugh. They sat back down on the bench afterwards, and Marinette fidgeted with her purse and hair as they waited for their dates to arrive.

            “How’ve you been, girl?” Alya asked, clasping Marinette’s hands in hers. “Any new memories?”

            “No… I haven’t remembered anything new in nearly two weeks. The doctors say that there’s a good chance that I’ll never recover the rest of my memories, since the healing seems to have slowed down,” Marinette said with a sigh.

            Alya’s face fell. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. That must be so horrible.”

            “Lila’s been helping me through it. She’s really good at comfort cuddles,” Marinette admitted, trying to reassure Alya that she was okay.

            It didn’t work.

            Alya frowned at her. “Look, Marinette. I get that you like Lila a lot and all, but I’m not sure that the two of you are a good match, you know? I just… she’s not a good person,” Alya explained, flinching at the anger that immediately flared on her friend’s face.

            “She’s your friend, Alya! How could you say something like that about her?” Marinette demanded, pulling her hands away from Alya’s. “She’s been nothing but sweet to me since we got together!”

            Alya ran her fingers through her hair, exasperated. “Look, Mari. I’m going to level with you. We both know that Lila lied knowing Ladybug when she first moved here, so there’s no telling what else is untrue. We can’t trust someone like that, and I’m worried that your relationship is based on—”

            “Lila would _never_ lie to me. Shame on you for even suggesting such a thing,” Marinette hissed. “I thought you were more loyal than that. I guess I was wrong.”

            Marinette turned away from Alya, and she knew better than to push the subject further. Instead she sighed and turned away, staring at her feet.

            Marinette was seething.

            Why would Alya think it was okay to do something like that? It wasn’t fair of her to say those things without evidence! Sure, Lila had lied about Ladybug. Who could blame her? Her parents were barely in her life, she was in a new school, in a new country, and she just wanted to make friends. The hottest topic in Paris was Ladybug and Chat Noir, so it only made sense that she would pretend to know one of them.

            Marinette kept her arms crossed over her chest and her chin in the air until Nino and Lila arrived.

            When they had, Marinette rushed over to link arms with Lila, dragging her in the direction of one of her favorite stores. She kept them a short distance away from Alya and Nino, not completely ditching them, but letting Alya know that she was still upset with her.

            Lila stared at her girlfriend questioningly, then just sighed and shook her head, threading her fingers through Marinette’s.

            They rounded a corner together, gradually becoming aware of loud voices drawing closer.

            “No, no, you don’t get to bring that up, Michael! This isn’t about that! This is about how you told me you were going in to work today, and how I just ran into you at the mall with another girl!” a feminine voice exclaimed.

            A male, probably Michael, yelled back, “Oh, shut up, Karen. It’s not a crime to want to spend time with a friend! You’re overreacting!”

            “Excuse me? I’m overreacting? This is the second time that I’ve caught you cheating!”

            Marinette cringed as they caught sight of the couple. A girl in her early twenties was facing a man around the same age, both of their faces twisted up in anger. She had her hands clenched into fists at her side as she leaned towards him. He had his arms crossed over his chest defensively, his body facing away from Karen.

            She pulled Lila off to the side, so that they wouldn’t have to pass them too closely, and her eyes widened.

            “An akuma!” she gasped, pointing at it with her free hand. The butterfly was fluttering down from one of the large skylights the mall had, drifting lazily towards the angry couple as they continued to bicker. Neither person seemed aware of its presence, and Marinette began to panic.

            She wrenched her hand from Lila’s grasp, ignoring the shouts of her friends as she ran after the akuma.

            “Look out! It’s an akuma!” she warned, skidding to a stop a few feet away from the woman as the infected butterfly landed on the engagement ring on her finger. Its wings flapped a few times as it melted into her ring, and a moth glowed over Karen’s eyes.

            Marinette could hear the woman speaking to Hawkmoth, but she didn’t stop to listen as she grabbed the man’s arm and yanked him away. “She’s going to be after you, when they’re done speaking! You need to run!”

            “B-but—”

            “Run!” she insisted, shoving the man ahead. She followed him as he began sprinting in the direction of the nearest exit, risking a glance behind her.

            In the place of the woman stood Hawkmoth’s latest champion.

            Her brown hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, with two curly strands of hair handing on either side of her face. Her fair skin had been cleared of any imperfections, scars, freckles, and birthmarks. It was now an unnaturally smooth, creamy color, almost angelic in nature. Her eyes had lightened from a dark brown to olive green, and her sweatshirt and jeans had been replaced by a long, white tunic. She looked stern, but kind, and pure as she hovered a few feet off the ground.

            Too distracted to look where she was going, Marinette tripped over her own feet, crashing to the tile floor. She grunted upon impact, pushing herself up onto her forearms as Lila screamed for her to get up.

            She rose to her feet, but before she could keep running, the woman placed her hand on Marinette’s shoulder.

            Marinette swallowed and turned to look up at her. Her mind raced as she looked for the best way to fight the villain off. No attack came, however.

            “I am Truth Be Told. I can see that you are a pure soul, but you have been manipulated and lied to. You have forgotten who you really are. You will not be subjected to such treatment any longer,” she promised with a voice that was a smooth as cream and as soothing as a warm bath after a long day. She raised soft hands to cup Marinette’s cheeks, rubbing them with her thumbs in the same way that Lila did after Marinette had a nightmare.

            Truth Be Told leaned in to Marinette’s ear, whispering into it. Marinette was captivated by Truth Be Told’s voice, and the secrets that it spoke. She slumped against the woman, listening with a burning, unbearable curiosity that filled her entire being. All she could think to do was grab onto the woman for dear life as Alya and Nino grabbed her arms and tried to yank her away.

            The akuma seemed to share Marinette’s desire to continue the conversation, as she held onto the teen as she floated up into the air. She guided them over the railing and away from the safety of the second floor, instead bringing them to rest a good forty feet above the first floor, far out of reach of Nino and Alya.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the grand finale is under revision (it took me 5 hours to write so far)! I'll see you all February 7th.


	8. Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the story has arrived, and no one is prepared for it. (especially not the poor author)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY CRAP LAST CHAPTER???? (it’s twice as long as every other chapter I’ve posted, and it took me a good 8-9 hours to write and edit… oops.)

** LOOSE ENDS **

* * *

****

Truth Be Told whispered Marinette’s secrets to her for a long time. It seemed that the list of things forgotten was endless, but for some reason that seemed shorter than the list of lies that had been told her. Lies told by Alya, and Adrien, and Chat Noir and even her very own Lila.

            Most of the lies were harmless.

            Nino told her that he liked her shirt, to not hurt her feelings. Alya pretended that it didn’t hurt to see Marinette without her memory. Chat Noir told an interviewer that he didn’t think Ladybug was dead. Adrien claimed that he wasn’t grieving Ladybug’s apparent death. Chat Noir promised her that he wasn’t hurt, after a long battle. Nino insisted that he wasn’t head over heels for Alya.

            The rest… were crippling.

            Marinette harshly told Alya that Lila would never lie to her. Lila grasped Marinette’s hands and proclaimed that she wanted to be friends. She told her that she felt Marinette was nothing like Chloe. She said she hoped Ladybug came back soon. She kissed Marinette’s lips and proclaimed that she would never let anything bad happen to her. She told Alya in an interview that she truly had known Ladybug personally. She said Ladybug had been the one lying, embarrassed that Lila had revealed so much about her. She claimed Ladybug had perished in the Gardener’s attack. Two weeks into their friendship, Marinette happily informed Lila that she loved Lila for being so good to her all the time. “It’s nothing to thank me over, Marinette,” Lila had said. “I love you, too.”

            Every time that Truth spoke, it broke her heart a little more. Each lie exposed was a blow to her chest, but she clung to the woman nonetheless. No matter how much it hurt, she couldn’t turn away, couldn’t stop listening as everything she had believed to be true for the past several months was ripped away from her.

            Truth Be Told ran out of lies sooner than Marinette had expected and pulled her face away from Marinette’s ear. Their connection broke, and Marinette blinked, noticing for the first time that she was being held in the air by the woman’s gentle grasp on her cheeks. There was no effort put into holding her, as if it was the sheer force of the woman’s will that held her up.

            She shrieked, thrashing on instinct as she tried desperately to return to the safety of the second floor several feet behind her. It was probably a bad idea to struggle against the thing keeping her from falling, but the thought didn’t occur to her until after the woman nonchalantly released her just moments later.

            Marinette was unable to stop the scream that ripped its way from her chest as Truth sent her plummeting to the ground. She flailed wildly, shrieking as the ground grew closer and closer.

            She closed her eyes and braced for impact, raising her arms to cover her face.

            Then, an arm hit her in the stomach hard enough to knock the wind out of her, and she was plucked from the air by her partner. They sailed across the mall, and Chat Noir clutched her tightly to his chest. He hit the ground and rolled, his hands cradling her head and back to protect her from the impact.

            Marinette gasped for air, grabbing his arms, and looking at him incredulously.

            “Chat!” she cried when she’d recovered enough to do so, tears springing to her eyes.

            “Don’t worry, Princess. The suit absorbed the blow; I’m not hurt. You, however, should get to cover. You don’t have magical armor like I do,” he said with a laugh. He climbed off her and retrieved his baton from where it had fallen, sprinting off after the akuma.

            Dazed, Marinette sat in a heap on the tile floor for longer than she should have, as the knowledge of everything that had happened to her hit her like a freight train.

            “Tikki!” she gasped, as her hands flew up to grab the silly feather earrings she wore. “Fuck!”

* * *

It hadn’t taken too long to retrieve her Ladybug earrings from below a floorboard under her desk; the mall was close to her apartment, and she knew exactly where to find her hidden miraculous.

            As soon as she had popped the earrings in, Tikki had reappeared, resuming the rant that she had been in the middle of when Marinette pulled the earrings out for the first time.

            “—too dangerous to take them off, even for a few hours!” she yelled, then paused. She took in Marinette’s longer hair, the tears streaking her face, and the healed scar across her forehead and sank down onto her desk. “What happened, Marinette? How long has it been?”

            Marinette rubbed her eyes, as if she could hide her tears from Tikki by doing so. She was hurting, and that embarrassed her. Tikki had been right all along, and she had ignored her and paid the price. Alya had been right too, of course, about Lila, and Marinette had been too blind in love to notice the inconsistencies.

            “I got hurt really bad, Tikki,” she whispered, and she didn’t know if she was talking about a few months or a few minutes prior. “I can’t explain now, but we’ll talk after the akuma.”

            Tikki nodded solemnly, and flew into her earrings when Marinette shouted, “Spots on!”

            Within moments, Ladybug burst out the trapdoor and leapt from the balcony, experiencing the freedom that she didn’t know she had missed for the past couple of months. She whooped despite herself, launching her yo-yo at a building opposite her and yanking herself up right before she hit the ground.

            She sailed back up into the air again, reveling in the feeling of the air rushing past her as she flew above the tops of the buildings. She’d missed this view of Paris.

            With another swooping fall and a rough tug on her yo-yo, Marinette was above the rooftops again. She sucked in a breath as she stared out at the city, landing gracefully on the tin roof of an older building, higher than those surrounding it. She gazed out at her home, all of it, and clutched her yo-yo to her chest. She admired the view of the sun as it crept towards the horizon, and was reminded of her evening with Lila, on her balcony. She thought of the way that she spilled her very life and soul for Lila, of the way that she’d left herself completely exposed. Lila had, without hesitation, flirted with Marinette, taking advantage of Marinette’s raw emotions and immense hurt to wiggle her way into her life and try to sabotage everything Marinette didn’t even know she had.

            With a shuddering breath, Marinette forced off tears.

            Her faithful partner Chat had been alone for far too long, now. She owed it to him to ignore her feelings until a better time.

            She owed it to Paris.

* * *

Ladybug landed silently on the roof of the mall, staring down through the broken skylight at the destruction that had plagued the mall thus far. Chat had grown sloppy and desperate without Ladybug. She had always been the superior fighter of the two, and always came up with the clever plans to defeat the akumas. Without her, he had resorted to the chaos and destruction that his miraculous was known for. This was made apparent by the shattered windows of storefronts, the cracked tiles of the floors below, and the slashes in walls, benches, and tables that sat out for the customers.

            Swallowing her guilt, Ladybug turned her attention to Truth Be Told and Chat Noir, as they battled on the floor. Truth remained just out of Chat Noir’s grasp consistently, floating away just when he seemed like he’d be able to catch her. She wasn’t fighting back, however, and Ladybug realized before Chat did that she was trying to tire him out. Truth Be Told’s plan seemed to be a success, because he took another swipe at her and stumbled, chest heaving.

            Without warning, Truth struck. She slammed her fist into Chat’s chest in a powerful blow, sending him crashing to the ground a distance away. He slid several more feet, only stopping when he hit a wall. He didn’t get up after that, exhausted and in pain as he lay on his stomach. He was conscious, still,  as Marinette could see his fingers moving, but he made no move to recover.

            “He’s given up,” Marinette whispered, shocked. Chat had kept up the lie that he could do it without Ladybug, that her loss wasn’t affecting him. It had fooled even her, but now she could see that he was just being stubborn. He didn’t want to go down without a fight, but he had surrendered himself finally.

            Once the public had determined that Ladybug would no longer be coming back to fix things, they had stopped sticking around for akuma fights. The injuries caused could no longer be fixed, and no one was taking and risks. So, as Truth Be Told drifted over to where Chat Noir lay, it became steadily apparent that neither believed anyone would be coming the rescue. After all, the mall was abandoned, save for Alya, Nino and Lila.

            The three were useless to Chat. Alya was filming, her attention locked on Chat as she zoomed her camera in and live streamed the event to her Ladyblog. Lila was a sobbing mess on the floor, and Nino was trying and failing to get the girls to run.

            Ladybug dropped through the skylight, looping her yo-yo around the railing of the second floor as she hurtled toward the first for the second time that day. She locked it, so it wouldn’t get any longer, and pulled the string free. She flew through the air, hitting Truth Be Told in the back with her feet and sending the both of them flying through the window of the boutique before them.

            Truth went flying into a display rack, and Marinette struck the counter against the back wall.

            Neither Truth Be Told nor Chat Noir had been prepared for Ladybug’s grand return, and Ladybug realized one of Truth’s weaknesses with delight. As Truth Be Told struggled to recover, she jumped back through the window, wrapping an arm around Chat Noir’s waist and tossing her yo-yo to railing in front of Alya.

            She pulled them up, dropping her partner with her friends.

            “We don’t have much time before she’s up again. The akuma is in her engagement ring. She can tell everyone their secrets, but she doesn’t remember them afterwards. If no one else hears, our identities will be safe if she exposes them,” she rambled, grabbing Chat Noir’s shoulders. She could tell that he wasn’t listening as he stared at her, green eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. “Chat!” she cried. “Now isn’t the time! Get the civilians out of here! And bring back all the akumas you’ve captured!”

            Ladybug backed up toward the banister behind her, eyes skimming over Lila as she stared up at her. The girl was on her knees, cheeks stained red with tears as she sniffled pitifully. She didn’t spare her a second glance, instead turning to Alya. She winked at the camera recording her and waved, flipping backwards off the edge.

            Ladybug caught herself with the yo-yo before she struck the ground and touched down gently. She strode over to the shop where she’d left Truth Be Told and wasn’t at all surprised to find that the woman was already gone. Her eyes locked on a shard of glass that remained in the window frame, where she could see Truth standing behind her, reaching for her. Ladybug crouched, and her hand shot over her head.

            Smirking, she spun around, sticking one leg out and knocking the akuma to the ground. Ladybug made a grab for the ring on Karen’s finger, but the woman yanked her hand out of reach and grabbed Marinette by the throat.

            “You’re supposed to be dead,” she screamed, and Marinette could tell by the glowing moth over her eyes that she wasn’t the one speaking. “I’ve been combing ruins for months, trying to find your miraculous!”

            “It takes more than a lousy akuma to kill Lady Luck, Hawkmoth,” Ladybug teased, smiling down at him. “You should know that by now.”

            She undercut Truth Be Told, slamming her jaw with a loud clack. When the akuma released her throat to grab her face, and pushed off and flipped over her, landing on her feet with her back to the akuma. She looked up, grin still on her lips, then scowled.

            “You three! You’re not supposed to be here!” she cried, glaring at Nino, Alya and Lila. “Chat was supposed to take you out of here!”

            “He did, but we came back,” Alya admitted proudly. “It’s okay, though! Even if we get hurt, you’re here to fix it!”

            Ladybug felt a spike of anger. She hated Alya for being so reckless, and for putting herself and Nino in danger. Nino would chase Alya to the ends of the Earth to keep her safe, even if they both knew that he didn’t really want to run into the middle of a battle like this. Alya seemed oblivious to this.

            She ignored Lila, pointedly, though she didn’t know why the girl was still there to begin with. Lila had always run away from akuma battles, and she hadn’t cared about Marinette, so it didn’t make sense for her to return, now. Maybe she was hoping to see Marinette get decked. Maybe she was hoping the akuma would finish the job this time.

            “Get out of here!” she ordered, advancing toward them.

            “Ladybug, look out!” Nino yelled, and then something hit her in the side and she was launched into a booth in the middle of the hall.

            She crashed through the poorly made structure, landing in a pile of souvenirs and broken plywood with a pained grunt.

            Ladybug lifted her head and watched as Truth Be Told dropped the piece of wooden beam she had struck her with and sauntered over. The cocky walk and satisfied smirk didn’t fit the personality that Ladybug had seen previously. It wasn’t the detached, innocent persona from before, something that momentarily confused her.

            It was only when Truth Be Told dropped to her knees and straddled Ladybug, grabbing her throat again that she realized why.

            She was getting in the akuma’s (and subsequently Hawkmoth’s) head.

            Ladybug had shown up without warning and clocked the akuma, turning the tides of the battle in the complete opposite direction. Then, she had had the audacity to taunt her in front of a camera livestreaming the situation to the entirety of Paris. She’d turned her back on the villain like she wasn’t worried about her, and didn’t view her as dangerous, and that had finally been enough to make the akuma snap.

            She grinned up at Truth Be Told, noting happily that her punch had caused her to bite her tongue, and blood now dripped down her perfect, milky skin.

            Ladybug was angry, too, and she enjoyed taking her frustration with Lila out on Truth Be Told. It felt good to punch and kick and scream her negative feelings out, and she had no plans of pulling any punches.

            “You bitch,” Truth hissed. “You lied to Paris! You let us all believe you were dead and gone! You let us mourn your loss and hold a funeral in your honor! There were parades, and monuments!” she squeezed Marinette’s neck, and Marinette punched her across the face, knocking her off.

            “I didn’t have a choice. I was too injured to transform, and there was no way to contact Chat Noir and notify him that I was alive in civilian form,” Ladybug defended, more for the cameras than anything else. Typically, she’d feel no obligation to argue with the akumas like this, but she knew that France had questions, too, and she knew they were desperate for answers. She dragged herself to her feet, ignoring the ache from being thrown through the booth. She stretched, cracking her back, and walked over to the akuma, standing over her. “I almost died. I couldn’t fight, and I couldn’t help, no matter how desperate I was to do something, anything to help.”

            “Liar!” Truth Be Told screeched, surging toward her, and tackling Marinette to the ground. She grabbed her wrists and pinned her down. “Admit the truth!” she demanded, her hands glowing gold where they held Ladybug.

            Fully aware that she couldn’t lie with Truth Be Told’s powers acting upon her, she repeated herself.

            “I almost died. I couldn’t fight. I wanted to help Chat. I couldn’t.”

            Truth let out a shout of frustration, gripping tighter with her heightened strength.

            “Tell me your name!” she demanded, and Ladybug clenched her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to keep her mouth shut as ‘Marinette’ threated to come spilling from her mouth.

* * *

If she revealed her identity now, it would be over. Hawkmoth would be paying attention to everything going on, and Alya’s camera was still pointed at them, filming away. Chat Noir wasn’t there to save Marinette now, not like he had been when Blacksmith had nearly impaled her, and not like he had been when she’d been dropped earlier that evening. She was pinned down and struggling so hard not to admit the truth that she couldn’t divert any energy to pushing Truth Be Told off her. Her yo-yo was sitting uselessly next to her, too close to the akuma for anyone else to grab, not that they’d know how to use it, anyways.

            Lila watched as Nino bit his nails, as Alya stood in the background and watched, as the akuma threatened the life of her girlfriend and her family and decided something.

            “Enough!” she yelled, shocking the hell out of everyone there, including herself. She walked closer, hands on her hips, fully aware that Alya was filming her, too. There were no second chances, anymore. There was no bullshitting her way out of this situation. She had to be honest, if she was going to save Marinette. “I know her identity.”

            That caught Truth’s attention. She turned her face to look at her.

            “I also know that if you go into her head for her identity, you won’t be able to remember it after, so you need someone else to say it aloud,” Lila continued, raising her chin in the air. “Do you want to know who she is?”

            “Lila, don’t,” Marinette begged weakly as the gold faded from the akuma’s hands. She was exhausted, far too tired to struggle as the akuma stood up and approached Lila. Even if she wasn’t tired, Lila wasn’t too sure that Ladybug would be able to bring herself to use force to silence her. “Please don’t do this. I don’t care how much you hate me. Think of my family. My friends,” she whispered brokenly.

            Lila’s heart wrenched. She swallowed and grabbed Truth Be Told’s hand, looking Ladybug in the eye as her hand started glowing. “I don’t hate you,” she admitted. “You’re one of the most important people to me. You make me a better person. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I regret what I did to you more than anything. My lies were unfair, to everyone, but especially you.”

            “Enough of this! Tell me who she is!” Truth roared, gripping Lila’s hand painfully tight.

            Lila grinned, looking her in the eye. “She’s a hero. She saved me, once, in civilian form. That’s what made me realize who she really was.”

            “Who? Who is she?” the akuma prodded anxiously, leaning closer with wide eyes.

            “Lady Luck,” Lila supplied, feeling pride swell in her chest as the akuma screamed in frustration.

            “No! Tell me her name!”

            “Lady Heart.”

            “No!”

            “Lady Magic!”  
            “Her name!”

            “Ladybug.”

            The akuma pushed off the ground, blasting them up into the air. She held Lila’s hand loosely as she dangled her dangerously high above the ground below.

            Lila gasped and grabbed the akuma’s hand, holding on for dear life as she stared down at the ground below them. She could see Alya below them, looking scared for the first time since Ladybug’s reappearance. It was as if she just now realized that someone might actually get hurt, interfering in an akuma attack. She closed her eyes, heart pounding in her ears as they stopped ascending.

            “Tell me who she really is, or I will drop you.”

            Lila swallowed. She opened her eyes again, black spots covering her vision as she stared at the ground far below her. She understood, now, the rush that Marinette got when she used her powers for good. She understood the appeal of honesty, and she understood the warmth, the joy, that came with helping others, with saving them. No matter how scared she was, no matter how unready she was to die, she couldn’t bring herself to betray Marinette again. She’d hurt the most amazing girl she’d ever met far too much already, and she was prepared to die if it meant protecting her, and the rest of Paris with her.

            “That’s a funny q-question,” she retorted. The waver in her voice gave away that she wasn’t as confident as she was pretending. “See, who she really is, inside, isn’t who she pretends to be in civilian life. The person she truly is… is Ladybug.”

            The yo-yo whizzed past her face as Truth Be Told released her. She dropped toward the ground below, realizing with growing dread that Ladybug had missed her, and caught that akuma’s ankle instead.

            Lila was falling to her death, and Ladybug was unable to save her, this time. She wouldn’t get away from this situation, wouldn’t ever get to see Marinette smile again, or hear her heartwarming laughter at one of Lila’s sarcastic remarks. She’d never feel her arms around her again or smell the scent of vanilla extract all over her handmade clothes.

            As Lila fainted, she became aware of something dragging Truth Be Told down, and of that same something flying upwards to wrap her free arm around Lila’s waist.

* * *

Lila came to, lying on the floor of the mall, under a worried Nino and an excited Alya. She began to panic, reaching up and grabbing Nino’s hand.

            “Ladybug,” she gasped, and he pointed to where Ladybug was jumping from support beam to support beam on the ceiling above them, still battling the akuma.

            “Lila, that was so fucking awesome!” Alya exclaimed, diving down to hug her now-conscious friend. “The akuma dropped you, and then Ladybug threw her yo-yo and caught her ankle and she flew up and caught you and did this super awesome flip and landed on the ground! And she dropped you off here and then went up there and they’re still going! She’s fighting so well, it’s like she never took a break!”

            ‘Took a break’ was _not_ how Lila would have described Ladybug’s absence, but she didn’t say it aloud, as tempted as she was.

A cry of “lucky charm” drew Lila’s attention back up to the ceiling, and she watched as Ladybug produced a large magnet from thin air.

            Ladybug pushed off from the side of the beam she was using her yo-yo to hang on to, using one hand to toss it at the opposing beam. She crossed by the akuma, using the magnet in her other hand to grab the ring, and tug it free from her hand.

            Then, she slid down the beam, touching down at the ground. She smiled at Alya’s camera (which was still rolling, because Alya was relentless) as she plucked the ring from the magnet.

            “Sorry, darling, but it looks like he gave you a phony ring. Silver isn’t magnetic,” she chirped, dropping the ring to the ground and stomping on it. “Catch her, Chaton.”

            A black butterfly floated out, and Karen fell out of the air. She was caught by a black blur sporting a massive backpack with a large jar of akumas.

            He lowered them to the ground on his baton and let her go, opening his backpack and unscrewing the lid to the jar. All at once, they poured out of the jar, making even Alya stumble back nervously.

            Ladybug didn’t back away. In fact, she seemed pleased by their presence, smiling as they flitted up in the direction of the skylight.

            “No more evildoing for you, little akumas,” she said fondly as she opened her yo-yo. “Time to deevilize!”

            She swung the string and tossed the yo-yo, expertly catching every akuma. She closed the yo-yo, held it for a moment, then opened it.

            “Bye-bye, little butterflies,” she whispered, and Lila watched in amazement as glowing, white butterflies poured from the yo-yo.

            Ladybug stepped back and tossed the magnet into the air above them, cheering a relieving “Miraculous Ladybug.”

            All around Paris, hordes of ladybugs swarmed destroyed buildings, roads, cars, and parks. All damage from every akuma attack since the Gardener was repaired, notifying anyone who hadn’t yet heard of Ladybug’s great return that all was once again well. The poor woman who’d been cheated on was returned to her normal state as the mall repaired itself around them.

            Chat Noir hugged Ladybug tightly, and she returned the gesture. Lila found herself jealous of their closeness, but the smile that Marinette gave her over his shoulder told her not to be.

            “We’ll speak tonight, chaton. I have a lot to tell you. Meet me at our usual spot at our usual time, okay?” she asked as her earrings beeped insistently.

            She ruffled his hair affectionately and stepped up to Lila, extending a hand.

            “Would my hero like a ride home?” she asked softly, and all Lila’s worries of rejection disappeared instantly.

* * *

The two sat in comfortable silence on the balcony where all their feelings had started, staring out at the dark streets of Paris. Fireworks exploded over the Seine as Parisians partied and drank in the streets. The entire city had come to life with the knowledge of Ladybug’s triumphant return. It was as if the city had been holding its breath for the three months since Marinette’s accident, and had finally allowed itself to breathe now that it knew that she was still there to protect it.

            As much as Lila enjoyed staring at Marinette, as she sat perched precariously on her railing, she knew that their time together was running short. Her parents had caught wind of the video of Lila saving Ladybug, and they’d been calling her nonstop. It seemed they cared, after all. It was a fact that warmed Lila’s heart, even if she knew she’d be returning to a lecture. Marinette had to leave soon, too, since Chat was expecting her, and Parisians were dying for a view of her in person. She would have to make an appearance for her partner and her city, soon, since she’d left both unattended for far too long.

            They both would be having many long, difficult talks that evening. Lila had her parents, and Marinette had her partner, her kwami, and the reporters of the city to speak to, and she still had to tell her parents and doctors that she had recovered the rest of her memory. Lila hated to have to add another to their list, but they both knew it was unavoidable.

            “Marinette,” she whispered, not oblivious to the way Marinette’s shoulders sagged at her tone. “Please hear me out, okay?”

            Marinette kept her back to her but nodded.

            “What I did to you was wrong. I was so used to traveling from place to place, lying for attention and friends and popularity, that I thought I could come in and do the same thing here. It was wrong of me, I understand now, but I want you to know that… at the time, I was just lonely. And then you came in as Ladybug and pointed out my lies and ruined my chances at popularity and I hated you for it. I’m not saying it’s right, it was just the reality of the situation.

            “When I wouldn’t accept your apology as Ladybug, you came to me as Marinette. I recognized you immediately, and to be honest I don’t know how no one else ever has. I recognized you as the person I hated so much and ignored your attempts at friendship and stereotyped you as some horrible person that was only out to destroy me. I decided I wanted to destroy you first.

            “I got my opportunity during Gardener’s attack. I thought that… I thought that if I locked you out, you would have to transform in front of me and I could hold it against you. I didn’t know you didn’t have your earrings, and when the bomb went off I—” she choked, tears starting to gather in her eyes. “I’ve never regretted anything more,” she admitted.

            “You woke up and had no idea who I was. I had ruined your life, and I was selfish so that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to destroy you and then, maybe, take your miraculous for myself, so I decided to become your friend and destroy you from the inside. I stole your diary to try and find some sort of advantage, and I read an entry and… and I saw for the first time that you’re not evil. I saw that you worry about everyone else before yourself, and that you love everyone around you and would die for anyone, even me, and I was a horrible, horrible bitch.

            “Then, Blacksmith attacked, and you didn’t even _know_ you were Ladybug, and you saved me, and I realized that I loved you. I decided after that that I wouldn’t play any more games, but I didn’t tell you the truth or give you your diary and it was wrong of me. I was scared of losing you, and because of that I only made things worse. I just want to say that I love you, and I’m sorry,” Lila finished.

            For a long time, Marinette didn’t answer her, and she was starting to think that her voice had been drowned out by the sounds of celebration below. Finally, however, she got a reply.

            “Lila… I love you. I do. I thought I knew love before, with Adrien, but it’s nothing compared to what I feel for you. You’re beautiful, and sassy, and clever, and kindhearted, and flirty, and I’m completely in love with you,” she replied at long last, turning to face Lila. “But what you did still hurt. I don’t know if I can forgive you yet, and I don’t know how long it will take me to trust you again.”

            Lila nodded solemnly and turned to go, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

            “One day, Lila. When I’m ready, and we’ve both healed, I’ll come to you. Be patient, okay? For me?” she asked, voice so soft and vulnerable that Lila couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder at the glistening blue eyes behind her.

            “I’ll wait for you, Mari,” she promised, before slipping through the trapdoor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… I’ve finished a multi-chapter fanfiction, for the first time. (I have a bad habit of abandoning fanfics, oops) It’s bittersweet, because I loved writing this one, and I’ll miss it. Still, I’m so happy I can publish it, now. Ask any questions in the comments, and I’ll be more than happy to answer them! I have the first chapter of my next story written, so stay tuned for the next few weeks for that to be coming out!

**Author's Note:**

> All constructive criticism is happily accepted! I don't have a posting schedule set up yet, but theoretically I would update every 1-2 weeks. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the story and let me know if you want more!


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